Nova Scotia pharmacist Martin Singh came a distant sixth in Saturday’s NDP federal leadership convention.

Singh, a party member from Musquodoboit Harbour who has not held a political office, was seen as a longshot from the beginning of the race.

In the end, the 39-year-old placed sixth out of seven on the first ballot, besting Churchill MP Niki Ashton, but finishing behind Ottawa MP Paul Dewar. As he had indicated prior to the convention, Singh threw his support behind the NDP’s Quebec lieutenant, Thomas Mulcair, who eventually carried the day in the fourth ballot.

Singh was the only Atlantic Canadian in the race. Robert Chisholm, a rookie MP from Dartmouth-Cole Harbour, dropped out earlier this year due to his inability to speak French in a caucus dominated by Quebec MPs.

Singh, who has degrees in chemistry, chemical engineering and pharmacy from Dalhousie University, and a MBA from Saint Mary’s University, was the only leadership hopeful to throw his support behind a specific candidate after bowing out.