If Mike Savage is campaigning on change, you’d never know it from the list of established supporters.

Nancy Regan drew a few gasps from the crowd when she announced Alexa McDonough, ex-NDP leader and former Halifax MP, would be introducing the former Liberal MP at Alderney Landing on Monday.

“I don’t know how many people called Mike Savage to urge him to run for mayor when he was defeated by a worthy, capable, formidable opponent (in the NDP’s) Robert Chisholm,” McDonough told the crowd of about 400.

“I had to insert that to remove any doubt about whether I am still a proud partisan.”

McDonough’s comments underscore a strange aspect of Savage’s one-day-old campaign ‘ the former Liberal has support from all three main parties.

“The fact that (Savage) can bring as many high-profile people from all of the parties here, who all have the same vision and passion for HRM, that’s what this is all about,” said former Tory cabinet minister Tim Olive.

“It’s about starting new, starting fresh and moving forward with everybody on board.”

Other notables in the crowd included Liberal MLAs Andrew Younger and Kelly Regan, and HRM councillors Darren Fisher and Jim Smith.

Savage said he doesn’t think he’ll have any political debts to his supporters, other than to provide good governance should he win the mayoralty.

But he may have other debts.

“We haven’t set a budget yet, but I’m expecting it will cost hundreds of thousands and dollars, and I expect that’s what (incumbent Mayor Peter Kelly) will spend,” Savage told reporters after the announcement.