'We are ready. We are very ready': Preparing for 2 elections at the same time

It's a year before the Ontario election, and political organizers across northeastern Ontario are getting ready for the race while prepping for a federal campaign that could come first.

Of the 16 federal and provincial seats in the region, only one incumbent has decided not to run again. It's made the federal race in Sudbury the hottest political battle in the northeast.

The Liberal Party says three people have put up their hands up to replace retiring MP Paul Lefebvre and are currently being vetted.

Local doctor Ian Symington is the candidate for the federal Conservatives and two New Democrat hopefuls will face off for the nomination at a meeting on June 22.

Indie Cinema founder and 2019 candidate Beth Mairs is being challenged by Nadia Verrelli, a political science professor recently laid off at Laurentian University. 

"We are ready. We are very ready," says long-time NDP organizer Deborah Knuff.

"We're constantly saying we are one family and when we come out of this nomination race, we must be all together if we're going to win this seat."

Federal election candidates so far: 

• Sudbury: Conservative Ian Symington.
• Nickel Belt: Liberal Marc Serre (incumbent), Conservative Charles Humphrey.
• Nipissing-Timiskaming: Liberal Anthony Rota(incumbent), NDP Scott Robertson.
• Timmins-James Bay: NDP Charlie Angus (incumbent).
• Sault Ste. Marie: Liberal Terry Sheehan (incumbent), NDP Marie Morin-Strom.
• Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing: NDP Carol Hughes (incumbent), Conservative John Sagman.
• Parry Sound-Muskoka: Conservative Scott Atchison (incumbent).

Local party officials across the region are in candidate search mode.

"It is a lot like trying to find a date for the prom, so you go around trying to find people," says Robert Manseau, president of the Ontario Progressive Conservative riding association in Timmins.

It can sometimes mean federal and provincial members of the same party knocking on the same candidate doors. 

"This isn't about a competition. What it is about is a conversation about leadership," says Ontario Liberal Party president Brian Johns.

He said the party will look at a potential candidate and see which level of politics they fit best.

For example, retired principal David Farrow was a natural to run for the Ontario Liberals in Sudbury because of his background in education, which is the responsibility of provincial governments.

Farrow admits his party has a lot of work to do after voters sent them to the "penalty box" in the last election, but he is determined to find out what the riding is looking for.

He says that's been very difficult to do during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"So we spend a lot of time being creative. Lots and lots of calls on Zoom and Ringtone and any other platform you can have," says Farrow.

"Can't wait to get the restrictions cut back so we can actually get on the ground and start meeting people face to face."

Provincial election candidates so far:

• Sudbury: NDP Jamie West (incumbent), Liberal Dave Farrow.
• Nickel Belt: NDP France Gelinas (incumbent), PC Randy Hazlett.
• Nipissing: PC Vic Fedeli (incumbent), NDP Erika Lougheed.
• Timiskaming-Cochrane: NDP John Vanthof (incumbent).
• Timmins: NDP Gilles Bisson (incumbent).
• Mushkegowuk-James Bay: NDP Guy Bourgouin (incumbent).
• Sault Ste. Marie: PC Ross Romano (incumbent), NDP Michele McCleave-Kennedy.
• Algoma-Manitoulin: NDP Mike Mantha (incumbent), Liberal Tim Vine.
• Parry Sound-Muskoka: Conservative Norm Miller (incumbent), Liberal Brandy Huff.

Professional engineer John Sagman never thought he'd see his name on a lawn sign, but the Willisville man says he felt compelled by the state of the country to volunteer to become the federal Conservative candidate in Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing.

"A number of us are balancing our day jobs, but it's important that we do this for our country and for our region. So we're going to make it happen. 

"We're accelerating forward and we'll keep accelerating."

North Bay city Coun. Scott Robertson is running for the federal NDP in Nipissing-Timiskaming and will spend the coming months trying to keep his two jobs separate.

"I can't let it stop me from doing my local work," he said. 

"And it just so happens the issues that really motivate me, and energize me and that I'm most passionate about are housing, poverty reduction and climate."