Meehan no longer running for Conservative candidacy in Ottawa West-Nepean

Carol Anne Meehan announces her bid to become the Conservative candidate in the federal riding of Ottawa West-Nepean. (Carol Anne Meehan/X)

Former Ottawa city councillor and media personality Carol Anne Meehan says she's no longer running for the Conservative nomination in the riding of Ottawa West-Nepean in the next election.

In a statement Friday, Meehan said though she's been "buoyed the positive response" she's been receiving since announcing her candidacy on July 29, she's decided to prioritize her startup business.

"A the time I declared my interest, it was expected the nomination meeting was fairly imminent. As of today there is no date to choose the Conservative candidate, and it appears there will be no Federal election at least until next year, which is more time than I can spare away," she said in the statement.

She notes that she remains a strong supporter of the Conservative party, "working right alongside them."

Meehan co-anchored the evening news on CTV Ottawa from 1989 to 2015 and hosted a radio talk show on 1310 News in Ottawa from 2016 to 2017. She then served one term as the city councillor for the former Gloucester-South Nepean ward between 2018 and 2022, choosing not to seek re-election for the current term of council.

The west Ottawa riding is currently held by Liberal MP Anita Vandenbeld, who was first elected in 2015. Vandenbeld was re-elected in 2019 and 2021. Former cabinet minister John Baird held the riding for the Conservatives from 2006 to 2015.

Parliament Hill staffer Ashti Waissi, Ottawa-Carleton District School Board trustee Jennifer Jennekens, and Ryan Telford, a long-time public servant and former Hill staffer, are also seeking the nomination to become the next Conservative candidate in Ottawa West-Nepean alongside Meehan. Jennekens ran as the Conservative candidate in the riding in 2021, coming in second behind Vandenbeld.

CTV News Ottawa has reached out to the Conservative Party of Canada and the Ottawa West-Nepean Conservative riding association for more details on when a candidate will be announced.

The next federal election must be held on Oct. 20, 2025, but the actual latest it can be is Sep.20, 2026.

With files from CTV News Ottawa's Ted Raymond