Yasir Naqvi elected in Ottawa Centre
CBC News | Posted: September 21, 2021 3:45 AM | Last Updated: September 21, 2021
Seat was left open by Catherine McKenna's departure
Liberal Yasir Naqvi has been elected in Ottawa Centre.
The riding was left open after Infrastructure and Communities Minister Catherine McKenna announced she'd be leaving federal politics. A slew of candidates announced their intention to run with Naqvi, a former MPP for Ottawa Centre, taking the spot as the Liberal pick.
Naqvi assumed the role of Ontario's Attorney General in 2016 but lost his provincial seat in 2018, defeated by the NDP's Joel Harden.
Economist Angella MacEwen, the candidate for the NDP, came second in the riding, projects CBC News. She previously ran for the party in Ottawa West-Nepean.
Before McKenna won the riding in 2015, the seat was held by NDP candidates for over a decade.
Another economist, Angela Keller-Herzog, ran for the Green Party. Carol Clemenhagen — an executive for national hospital organizations who has worked with environmental groups in the Thousand Islands region — ran for the Conservatives.
Regina Watteel was the People's Party of Canada candidate.
A number of fringe parties also ran candidates, including Shelby Bertrand for the Animal Protection Party and Alex McDonald for the Communist Party of Canada. Additionally, Richard Joyal ran as an independent.
At only 35 square kilometres, Ottawa Centre is the smallest riding between eastern Ontario and western Quebec. But what it lacks in area it makes up for in urban density — as of 2016, the riding was home to 118,038 residents.
Just over 10,000 special ballot voting kits were issued to electors in Ottawa Centre, the third highest number among ridings nationwide.