Fredericton-Oromocto Liberals face competitive candidate selection

Liberal Party members in the Fredericton area face a three-way competition to select a candidate for the upcoming federal election. With the campaign already started, Premier Susan Holt has publicly endorsed musician David Myles over Tyler Randall, who is married to one of her cabinet ministers. Holt emphasized her personal connection with Myles, stating they have known each other for many years. The third candidate, Ryan Sullivan, is an associate vice-president at St. Thomas University and has strong ties to the Liberal Party. However, it remains uncertain whether party members will have a say in choosing their candidate. Liberal Party rules require a minimum of 14 days’ notice for a nominating meeting, which could occur later in the campaign. The party leader, Mark Carney, has the option to appoint a candidate directly due to "electoral urgency." Sullivan mentioned he is waiting for guidance from party officials on the nomination process. He expressed his determination to work towards securing the Liberal's chances in the election. Randall, who submitted his nomination papers earlier, is also anxiously awaiting news on the procedure. Despite the uncertainty, Randall stated that he would support Myles or Sullivan if they were chosen. Holt clarified her endorsement of Myles does not mean organizational backing from the party and suggested it is more about personal relationships with the candidates. As Liberal candidates are in limbo, Conservative candidate Brian Macdonald, nominated over a year ago, is already campaigning. Former Liberal MP Jenica Atwin announced she would not seek reelection, and both the NDP and Green parties have named their candidates, with Nicki Lyons-Macfarlane and Pamela Allen-LeBlanc, respectively. Meanwhile, the Communist Party of Canada has named June Patterson as their candidate. In recent announcements, the Conservative Party has selected Mike Dawson to run in Miramichi Grand-Lake following the current MP’s decision not to run again. The party also appointed Melissa Young for the Saint John-Kennebecasis nomination, closing down a more competitive selection process and leading to resignations among some party members due to dissatisfaction with the nomination process.