Another Kitchener city councillor seeking MPP nomination

Debbie Chapman has been nominated by the NDP as the candidate for the Kitchener Centre by-election. (Submitted)

Kitchener city councillor Debbie Chapman is throwing her hat in the ring for an Ontario by-election.

The Ward 9 councillor announced on social media Tuesday that she will be seeking the Kitchener Centre MPP nomination for the Ontario NDP.

“I feel that my years of experience as a community leader, advocate and Kitchener city councillor, combined with my background teaching political science and global studies courses at Wilfrid Laurier University, will enable me to be an effective voice for the people of Kitchener Centre who face an affordable housing crisis, a cost of living crisis, a climate crisis, and, to add even more fuel to the fire, privatization of health care and education,” Chapman said in a news release Wednesday.

“I stand with my fellow citizens across this province who are fighting for living wages, liveable benefits, affordable housing and a dignified life for all.”

This comes the same day Kitchener city councillor Aislinn Clancy was announced as the Green Party candidate.

Both are hoping to win the Kitchener Centre MPP seat after Ontario NDP's Laura Mae Lindo announced she would vacate the seat in the summer.

The NDP said in an email to CTV News a nomination date is being finalized and the party expects to hold a nomination meeting by early summer.

Kitchener mayor Berry Vrbanovic told CTV News that under Ontario’s Municipal Act, a city councillor does not have to vacate their seat in order to run provincially or federally. However, should they win the eventual by-election, council would then have a decision to make about the seat. Chapman has not indicated what she plans to do in regards to her city council seat.