Ben Carr makes it official, declares run for Liberal nomination in late father's federal riding

After a month of deliberations, the son of late Liberal MP Jim Carr has decided to seek the party's nomination to run in a byelectionexpected in Winnipeg South Centre later this year.

Ben Carr announced Thursday that he will seek the nomination for a riding his father, Jim, won three times before he died at age 71 on Dec. 12.

The younger Carr said on Jan. 3 he was considering following in his father's footsteps.

Ben Carrworked on his father's political campaigns,co-chairing the 2021 re-election effort after helping out more informally in the 2015 and 2019 federal elections.

He has spent most of his career in education,workingas a teacher and later a principal at schools in River Heights and The Maples.

The younger Carr ran in a Winnipeg school division byelection in 2020 and even voted for himself in an advance poll before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic cancelled the exercise.

Carr also worked in Ottawa for former Canadian heritage minister Melanie Joly and currently does government relations work as a vice-president for Indigenous Strategy Alliance, a private consulting firm.

In a news release, Carr listed 15 endorsements from politicians, Indigenous leaders and educators, including former prime minister Paul Martin, Shoal Lake No. 40 Chief Kevin Redsky and former Liberal MPs Maryam Monsef and Scott Brison.

Carr faces competition from city Coun. Sherri Rollins, who represents Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry and also served as a Winnipeg School Divisiontrustee.

In the absence of any general federal elections, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau must announce a byelectionin Winnipeg South Centre by June 11. The latest possible date to hold thatbyelection is Aug. 1.

Whoever wins the Liberal nomination in Winnipeg South Centre has a strongchance of becoming thenext MP for the Winnipeg riding, a reliably but not exclusivelyLiberal riding.

The Liberals have held Winnipeg South Centre for all but four years since the ridingwas created in 1988. Conservative Joyce Bateman represented it from 2011 to 2015.

A second Manitoba byelection is expected this year in Portage-Lisgar, one of the most reliably Conservative seats in Canada. Candice Bergen announced this week she will soon resign from the seat.

Manitoba Progressive Conservative MLA Cameron Friesen said on Jan. 27 that he will soon resign from the Manitoba Legislature to seek the Conservative nomination in Portage-Lisgar.

Branden Leslie, a formerConservative adviser, and Liz Reimer, a former Friesen assistant, announced earlier in January that they are seeking the Conservative nomination for Portage-Lisgar.

The southern Manitoba riding has been held by the Conservatives and two conservative predecessor parties Reform and the Canadian Alliance in every election since it was created in 1997.

The Portage-Lisgar byelection must be announced no later than 180 days after the speaker of the house formally notifies Elections Canada that Bergen has resigned. If that takes place Thursday, the latest the Portage-Lisgar byelection can be held is Sept. 20.