If it were only up to Elizabeth May, the federal Green Party leader will be running for the seat in Saanich-Gulf Islands in the next election.

“I know what my choice is, my choice is here,” she said in an interview Wednesday.

“But we’re a grassroots party. I’ve got a campaign committee. I was on the phone with them just now. I’ve got a national council. There are a number of people to be persuaded.”

“I’m persuaded this is where I’d like to be,” she added.

May had also been openly considering running in the Ontario riding of Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound, but now says she has begun searching for a house in Sidney.

“They’re not equally weighted at this point. I am so strongly leaning to it being here that the only thing that holds me off is that I have to go back through some decisions within the party,” she said.

May’s decision is also being shaped by internal party polling, which shows a strong chance for her to defeat five-term Conservative incumbent Gary Lunn. After the 2008 election that saw the party fail to claim its first seat, the Greens adopted a new strategy to focus effort on getting the leader into the House of Commons

“We certainly haven’t ever had a focus that getting the leader elected was in any way more important than other seats,” May said.

Despite a deal May struck with then-leader Stephane Dion that the Liberals wouldn’t run against her, she failed in her bid to defeat Conservative cabinet minister Peter McKay in the Nova Scotia riding of Central Nova, losing by almost 6,000 votes.

There will be no such agreement this time, regardless of where May runs. Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff has pledged to run candidates in every riding.

The Liberal riding association has a candidate nomination meeting set for Sept. 12. The NDP won’t choose their candidate until mid-October, said riding association president Starla Anderson.

Lunn isn’t concerned about the possibility the Green Party’s leader will run against him

“I’m proud of my record and I’m happy to put that up against anybody in any of the other parties,” he said, noting he’s represented the region in the federal cabinet since 2006.

“I can only tell you the Canadian people aren’t interested in an election, that’s for sure. We’re just starting to see positive signs for the economy turning around,” he said.

May acknowledged that moving to the riding carries some political risk.

“I would be stunned if I wasn’t attacked for being a parachute candidate,” she said.

But she said the party, consistent with its focus on getting May elected, is building its election strategy around keeping her in the riding during the campaign.

“I’ve got a commitment from the national campaign team and the national party as a whole that I’ll only be requested out of the riding for the leader’s debate and an eight-day national tour. Otherwise, I’ll be here all the time,” she said.

May was in Victoria for a speaking engagement Tuesday, and will stay in the region until Monday.

kvass@vicnews.com