Ottawa Centre New Democrats have nominated former city councillor and mayoral candidate Catherine McKenney as their candidate in the next provincial election.
McKenney was elected as city councillor for Somerset Ward in 2014 and ran for mayor in the 2022 race. They worked in senior roles at the city prior to their term on council and is the co-founder of CitySHAPES, a national nonprofit organization focused on citybuilding.
“I am thrilled to stand alongside Marit Stiles and the Ontario NDP as we fight for a better future for Ontario and a strong voice for Ottawa Centre,” said McKenney in a press release. “I’m running because I know Ottawa Centre residents want a government that works as hard as they do.
“Together, we can finally build communities where you can thrive, with homes you can afford, transit that you can rely on, health care that’s there when you need it.”
Marit Stiles, Ontario NDP leader, said McKenney is a “powerhouse” with a “track record of effective and compassionate leadership.”
In an exclusive interview with Ottawa Compass after announcing they were running for candidacy, McKenney said provincial politics was the natural next step.
“Every level of government is important. But for the work that I want to continue to do, and where I believe I can make the best contribution, is really in the areas of housing and homelessness, in transit, in areas like bike lanes and congestion… How we build our cities, and how our cities function, and that all happens at the provincial level,” they said.
“That is an area where I can work with my municipal counterpart, where I can work with a team at Queen’s Park, to ensure that cities stay functioning and healthy and that we do better. We’ve not done very well as a province, and we can do so much better.”
Ottawa Centre has been an NDP stronghold since 2018, when current MPP Joel Harden was elected in the riding. Harden has announced he will be making the switch to federal politics and running as the MP for Ottawa Centre in the next federal election.
