Ottawa Centre's cabinet minister looking for repeat

The area's only cabinet minister is looking to keep Ottawa's core red after an upset in 2015.

LiberalCatherine McKenna took Ottawa Centre from the NDP in 2015 by more than 3,000 votes, becoming environment minister.

The voter turnout of 82 per cent was one of the highest in the country.

This race pits McKenna against:

• Shelby Bertrand of the Animal Protection Party;
• Conservative Carol Clemenhagen, who's run national hospital organizations and worked with grassroots environmental groups in the Thousand Islands region;
• Libertarian Coreen Corcoran;
• Independent Chris Jones, who's worked in child health and has a PhD in political economy;
• Former nurse and journalistMarie-Chantal Lericheof the Christian Heritage Party;
• economist and eco-friendly B&B manager Angela Keller-Herzogfor the Greens;
• Stuart Ryan of the Communist Party of Canada;
• Public servant and self-described LGBTQ activist Merylee Sevillafor the People's Party;
• Lawyer and activist Emilie Taman for the NDP;
• Independent Giang Ha Thu Vo.

The ballot is 80 per cent woman, rivalled only by Kanata-Carleton at the same percentage.

Candidates are included in this riding profile once they've beenlisted as a confirmed candidateby Elections Canada, chosenas the winner of a nomination contestor who were the chosen candidate by a party that got at least one per cent of the national popular vote in 2015.

Ottawa Centre in 2015

Candidate questionnaires

CBC Ottawa sent every candidate running in eastern Ontario or western Quebec seven questions via their party or a publicly available email address.

They were asked to stick to 25 to 100 word answers, depending on the questions.

Theiranswers have not been edited by CBC.

Carol Clemenhagen

Chris Jones

Angela Keller-Herzog

Catherine McKenna

Stuart Ryan

Emilie Taman