MLA Lisa Harris nominated as federal Liberal candidate for Miramichi-Grand Lake riding

Liberal Party members have picked a candidate to defend their hold on New Brunswick's Miramichi-Grand Lake riding.

Miramichi Bay-Neguac MLA Lisa Harris was nominated to be the candidate to represent the riding in the next federal election — anticipated to happen later this year — following a virtual vote by party members on Thursday.

Harris spoke to CBC News shortly after voting closed at 8:30 p.m., revealing she'd defeated her only opponent, Miramichi Mayor Adam Lordon.

"[The nomination] means that, you know, I'm going to be able to get to Ottawa and really fight for the riding of Miramichi-Grand Lake.

"I'm ready to hit the ground running and to be at any table in Ottawa that I possibly can to do some great things for the area. And and that's what we need. We need to have somebody there that's, that's going to fight and stand up."

The three-term MLA was first elected in 2014 and served as minister for seniors and long-term care under the Brian Gallant government.

Under the Canada Elections Act, provincial MLAs cannot be federal election candidates, so Harris will have to resign her seat. She doesn't have to do it until the official deadline to register with Elections Canada as a candidate, which is 21 days before election day.

The nomination sets the stage for a face-off between her and the Conservative Party nominee for the riding, Jake Stewart, who currently sits as an MLA for the Southwest Miramichi-Bay du Vin riding.

A former Aboriginal Affairs minister in the Higgs government, Stewart was first elected MLA in 2010 and has won re-election three times since then.

The two will now go up against each other in what turned out to be the closest contested riding in New Brunswick in the last federal election.

In 2019, Liberal Miramichi-Grand Lake MP Pat Finnigan defeated his primary opponent, Conservative Peggy McLean, by just 370 votes.

Finnigan, who was first elected in 2015 when Justin Trudeau swept all 10 of New Bunswick's ridings, announced in June he would not be re-offering in the next election.

Asked about her competition, Harris said she feels confident she'll come out on top.

"We see the numbers, you know, we're going to have a Liberal majority government here in Canada and Lisa Harris will be part of that government. She'll be fighting for Miramichi-Grand Lake with all she has."