Liberals acclaim three federal candidates

In a matter of hours Monday, the Liberal Party announced the acclamation of federal election candidates in the Ottawa Centre, Kanata-Carleton and Pontiac ridings.

The blockbuster announcements came one day after the Kanata-Carleton and Pontiac incumbents revealed they wouldn't be running for re-election, and includes the news that the Ottawa city councillor for Kanata North, Jenna Sudds, will be running under the Liberal banner in the west Ottawa riding whenever the next election is called.

Myriad signs, including Monday's rapid-fire acclamation announcements, suggest this will happen in the near future.

Yasir Naqvi will be the Liberal candidate in Ottawa Centre, currently held by cabinet minister and two-term Liberal MP Catherine McKenna. She went public in late June with her decision not to seek re-election, citing a desire to spend more time with her three children and pursue climate action from outside government.

Naqvi represented Ottawa Centre as a provincial Liberal for more than a decade before losing his seat in Ontario's 2018 election to New Democrat Joel Harden.

Kanata-Carleton MP Karen McCrimmon announced Sunday evening that she won't be attempting a return to the House of Commons in the next election because of health concerns.

Shortly after, Pontiac MP Will Amos shared on Facebook that he'd advised the party that he'd decided against a re-election run.

The last few months haven't been kind to the west Quebec member of Parliament, who twice appeared nude during House of Commons virtual proceedings, incidents he described as accidental. Amos took time away from his parliamentary secretary role and committee work in the aftermath, and according to his office, was pursuing a wellness program.

Sophie Chatel has been acclaimed as the Liberal candidate in Pontiac, the party announced.