18 candidates running in Kitchener Centre byelection

With two weeks to go until voting day, candidate nominations have closed and a full list of everyone running in the Kitchener Centre byelection is now available.

In total, 18 people, representing 13 parties, are in the running to replace New Democrat Laura Mae Lindo. Lindo resigned earlier this year citing child-care challenges, after accepting a position with the University of Waterloo.

As far as the major parties, Kitchener city councillor Debbie Chapman is hoping to hold onto the seat for the New Democrats. Her fellow city councillor, Aislinn Clancy, is running for Greens. The Liberals have chosen Kelly Steiss, who works in community services for the City of Kitchener. Rob Elliott, a former Progressive Conservative Party vice-president is representing the PCs. Elliott lives in Keswick, north of Toronto, not Kitchener, but said in a statement he’s personally connected to the city and studied at Wilfrid Laurier University.

CTV News spoke with Chapman, Clancy and Steiss earlier this month. You can read those conversations here. Elliott did not reply to our request for an interview.

Included in the full list of candidates is John Turmel, who holds the Guinness World Record for most elections contested. Turmel has run in – and lost – more than 90 elections. Most recently he unsuccessfully campaigned to become Mayor of Brantford in last year’s municipal election and MPP for Hamilton Centre in the March byelection.

Here’s the full list of candidates

• Balfour, Gene (Libertarian)
• Benlolo, Albert Michel (Freedom Of Choice, Peace & Justice Party)
• Chapman, Debbie (Ontario NDP)
• Clancy, Aislinn (Green Party of Ontario)
• Davis, Jonathan (Public Benefit Party)
• Dickson, Mark (None Of The Above Direct Democracy Party)
• Elliott, Rob (PC Party of Ontario)
• Engering, Ali (Independent)
• Greco, Mario (Populist Ontario)
• House, Peter (Electoral Reform Party)
• Poizner, Lionel Wayne (Party For People With Special Needs)
• Rocchi, Spencer (Independent)
• Samuels, Raymond (Ontario People's Front)
• Simoes, Paul (New Blue)
• Steiss, Kelly (Ontario Liberal Party)
• Stewart, Paul (Independent)
• Strzalkowski, Patrick (Independent)
• Turmel, John (Independent)

Election day is Nov. 30, but voters also have the opportunity to cast their ballot in advance by mail or in-person. Full details and important dates are available here.