Frugal Lizard, I have the same view on voting. I always vote for the candidate who I feel will do their very best to represent the riding. Regardless of party.
I cannot in good conscience hold my nose and vote for a jerk, just because I may respect their leader.
Some times I have selected the winning candidate. Over my voting years I have voted for the four main parties.
My riding has an incumbant Liberal, and a socially active NDP. In the two debates I watched, both performed well, answered the questions, and presented as aware, and competent. I would be happy with either as my MPP.
In the second debate, the NDP candidate stated a couple of things that gave him an edge over the Liberal Incumbant.
Namely,
a) widening the 417 is ludacris given the investment in the LRT. That money should have gone towards further improvement in public transit, and /or reduction in fares to increase ridership. Ottawa has a ridiculously high fare. Indeed!
b) Developers should be forced to make a proportion of their housing developments available for low to middle income renters. Also, more public space. He specifically mentioned that a Condo developer that built right beside a tiny, but well used library, should have been told that they would get their permissions, but they will have a new first floor tenant - a library expansion. Missed opportunity! Vancouver has rules about making public spaces in all new developments.