Ontario finance minister Dwight Duncan has announced that he won't seek Liberal leadership and he won't run for re-election in next election.

Charlene Close/680News

TORONTO, Ont. – Ontario finance minister Dwight Duncan has announced that he won’t seek Liberal leadership. He has said he also won’t run for re-election in his Windsor riding in the next provincial vote.

He has joined two other big-name Liberals who have bailed out over the past few months following Dalton McGuinty and Greg Sorbara.

Duncan said this is not a case of rats jumping from a sinking ship.

“There is a raft of talent in our back rows of young, full of vigour,” he said.

His political career has spanned 25 years….17 as an MPP and eight as a city councillor in Windsor.

As for his future, he may show up in Ottawa.

“I always thought I might like to serve in the federal House some day. I wouldn’t rule that out at this point in time.”

The premier is thrilled to hear his right-hand man doesn’t want his job.

“It means that we’ll be able to stay focused on the most important challenge we have before us today and that’s to find a way to put in place a public sector wage freeze,” McGuinty said.

The Ontario Liberals will select the next leader at a convention in January.

Former MPP Sandra Pupatello is considering entering the leadership race.

“The longer I talk about it, the more people I engage with, the more excited I get at the prospect,” Pupatello told political affairs specialist John Stall. However, she added she wants to discuss it with her husband first before making her decision. Click here to listen to the full interview.

Other cabinet ministers — including Deb Matthews and Kathleen Wynne — might also run.