After leaving HDRC, Clancy moved to Brantford. He considered seeking the New Democratic Party's nomination for the 1999 provincial election, but ultimately did not do so. In 2000, he ran against local Member of Parliament (MP) Jane Stewart as a candidate of the fringe Canadian Action Party. During this period, Clancy was a private advocate for Canadians whose Employment Insurance benefits had been cut off by the federal government; he also accused the government of misusing the private information of many Canadians.