The Ontario Liberal Party is set to choose its candidate Saturday for an upcoming byelection in Scarborough Southwest, culminating a nomination race marked by candidates questioning each other's community ties.
The riding became vacant provincially after its former representative successfully moved to federal politics. While a provincial byelection has not yet been called, Liberal candidates have already begun campaigning for the nomination.
Liberal MP Nate Erskine-Smith, who currently represents the neighbouring federal riding of Beaches-East York, is one of the candidates vying for the provincial seat. Erskine-Smith has made clear his intention to run a second time for the leadership of the Ontario Liberal Party, a position that is currently vacant.
Erskine-Smith has said he would not attempt to displace the current Liberal member of the provincial parliament for Beaches-East York, his friend Mary-Margaret McMahon. "While I ran for the leadership in 2023 without a seat, just by happenstance ... there's going to be a byelection in basically my backyard," Erskine-Smith said.
However, some fellow nomination contestants have raised concerns about Erskine-Smith's motivations. Nomination candidate Qadira Jackson has accused him of using Scarborough Southwest primarily as a stepping stone for his leadership ambitions. "I don't think that it's up for debate," Jackson said. "He has explicitly said that he ran here so that he can have a seat to run for leader".
Some candidates are advocating for a representative with deep local connections to the riding.
