Record-setting 40 candidates in the running for Mississauga – Lakeshore federal seat

Voters in the Mississauga – Lakeshore may be faced with an overload of choices for their next federal representative given there are 40 candidates now on the ballot.

The by-election comes after the resignation of Liberal Sven Spengemann who has served the riding since his election in 2015. Spengemann stepped down from his post in May to take on a role with the United Nations.

The riding has long been a Liberal stronghold. Only twice has the riding been taken by a Conservative since 1993. However, the riding is by no means a sure bet for the presiding Liberals.

Polling firm 338 Canada has the riding listed as a toss-up between the Liberals and the Conservatives. The Liberals slightly lead with 42.3 per cent of the projected vote share, compared to 39.6 per cent for the Tories. The NDP trail far behind at 10 per cent and the Greens can expect 5 per cent.

The by-election has been by some as a mini-midterm for parliament as the first federal race held since the 2021 election and the ascent of Pierre Poilievre as Conservative leader. The election may serve to indicate how Canadians are feeling about the current parliamentary makeup.

However, a noteworthy element of this by-election is the sheer number of independent candidates vying for the seat. In protest of the Liberal Party’s abandonment of electoral reform, the protest Rhinoceros Party has signed up 32 independants plus their leader to contest the race.

This sets a new record for the most candidates ever to run for a single federal seat in Canadian history. Previously that record belonged to Saint Boniface—Saint Vital in Winnipeg which ran 21 candidates in 2021.

The Liberals had promised to change Canada’s electoral system from its longstanding first-past-the-post system in the 2015 campaign, but had given the idea up by 2017.

The candidates are as follows;

Parties:

• Liberal – Charles Sousa
• Conservative – Ron Chhinzer
• New Democrat – Julia Kole
• Green – Mary Kidnew
• People’s – Khaled Al-Sudani
• Rhinoceros – Sébastien CoRhino

Independants:

• Melodie Anderson
• Myriam Beaulieu
• Line Bélanger
• Mylène Bonneau
• Jean-Denis Parent Boudreault
• Jevin David Carroll
• Sean Carson
• Sébastien CoRhino
• Charles Currie
• Stephen Davis
• Mark Dejewski
• Ysack Dupont
• Donovan Eckstrom
• Alexandra Engering
• Daniel Gagnon
• Donald Gagnon
• Kerri Hildebrandt
• Peter House
• Martin Acetaria Caesar Jubinville
• Samuel Jubinville
• Mary Kidnew
• Alain Lamontagne
• Marie-Hélène LeBel
• Conrad Lukawski
• Spencer Rocchi
• Eliana Rosenblum
• Julian Selody
• Roger Sherwood
• Adam Smith
• Charles Sousa
• Julie St-Amand
• Pascal St-Amand
• Patrick Strzalkowski
• Tomas Szuchewycz
• Ben Teichman
• John “The Engineer” Turmel, and
• Darcy Justin Vanderwater

Given the high volume of candidates Elections Canada has altered the ballots used in the by-election. It now features a two column layout.

The election will be held on December 12.