Education Minister Jeremy Miles is poised to formally enter the Welsh Labour leadership competition later.
Already backed by the required number of supporters among his fellow Labour Members of the Senedd (MS), he has now garnered an additional eight nominations.
Notable supporters include Counsel General Mick Antoniw, Julie Morgan, and Lee Waters, the deputy minister for climate change.
Vaughan Gething, the Economy Minister, has also garnered enough MS support to qualify for the ballot.
Health Minister Eluned Morgan, who aimed for leadership in 2018, has opted out of the current race.
Following Mark Drakeford’s announcement of stepping down as first minister in March, the competition to succeed him has commenced. Nominations for candidates to replace him will close on Thursday.
During the weekend, endorsements for Mr. Miles came from Welsh Labour deputy minister for social partnership Hannah Blythyn, Bridgend MS Sarah Murphy, and former minister Alun Davies.
Currently, Mr. Miles, representing Neath as an MS, boasts the support of 17 fellow MSs and prominent figures in local government.
His roots trace back to Pontarddulais, and he received his education at Ysgol Gyfun Ystalyfera in the Swansea valley before pursuing law studies at Oxford University. Initially practicing as a solicitor specializing in media law, he transitioned into politics after his election to the Senedd in 2016.
His cabinet roles have included counsel general starting in November 2017, Brexit minister, and eventually education minister in 2021.
