Meili, Wotherspoon enter NDP leadership race

Two more candidates have entered the race to lead the Saskatchewan New Democrats.

In Saskatoon, Ryan Meili, a Saskatoon physician, announced he's running, while in Regina, MLATrent Wotherspoon said he was joining the race.

"The government is asleep at the wheel with its foot on the gas," Meili told a cheering crowd of about 75 in Saskatoon Friday.

Continuing the car metaphor, Meili also turned his attention to his party, saying the "big orange machine" needs more than new paint, it needs someone to look under the hood.

Wotherspoon, the member for ReginaRosemont,told a crowd of several hundred that the governing Saskatchewan Party is not interested enough in "sharing the wealth" of the province.

"If some people move forward but many many others are left behind, that seems to be just fine with our political opposition," he said. "Just fine that families struggle to find affordable housing. Just fine that classrooms and teachers don't have sufficient funding to educate our children."

There are now four people who want to be elected leader of the NDP next March. MLA Cam Broten and economist Erin Weir have also thrown their hats into the ring.

The NDP's top job opened up following the 2011 election where previous New Democrat leader Dwain Lingenfelter lost his own seat.