Meet the candidates running in Ottawa Centre in the 2025 federal election

Two well-known candidates are among those facing off in the riding of Ottawa Centre as voters prepare to cast their ballot at the end of April.

The federal riding of Ottawa Centre includes the area surrounding Parliament Hill, but who will win the seat to represent it?

The ballot has two very familiar names to Ottawa politics, incumbent MP Yasir Naqvi and former MPP Joel Harden.

The riding map for Ottawa Centre has been changed for the 2025 election, with part of the riding shifting to Ottawa West-Nepean and part of Ottawa South into it.

The riding is also home to the Ottawa Hospital Civic Campus and the Central Experimental Farm.

CTV News Ottawa spoke with candidates from the NDP, Liberal and Green parties about what their key issues are in the upcoming election. The Conservative Party candidate did not respond to an interview request.

Liberal incumbent Yasir Naqvi says the economic effects of U.S. President Donald Trump’s policies on the Canadian economy are a central issue.

 “As I’m knocking on doors all across the community, people are really concerned about Donald Trump’s assault on Canada,” he said.

“People are concerned about our political sovereignty, and they’re worried about our economy. They want to make sure that we build our economy. We can make our economy stronger, make it less reliant on the US.”

NDP candidate Joel Harden, who served in the provincial riding with the same name from 2018 to this year, said voters are looking for someone who can improve affordability.

“Our transit system is a mess. People can’t afford housing, they can’t afford groceries and we have lots of great ideas here in Ottawa Center. I just want to see them as part of the national conversation,” he said.

“We see the threat of Trump. We see the threat of the affordability crisis, the climate crisis. But we know we have great ideas and local solutions.”

Green Party candidate Amanda Rosenstock says she has three key priorities: reliable public transit, housing and primary care.

“I’m running because I share some of the same frustrations, that a lot of people have been talking to me about at the doors,” she said.

“I just don’t think that the traditional parties have really done enough on urgent action in these areas.”

CTV News spoke with several voters in the riding who all have varying concerns at the top of their minds, including Trump, the economy, health care, housing and public transit as key issues.

“The U.S. at this point, health care. But that’s kind of provincial,” said decided voter Kim Dalrymple.

Voter Dan Micucci added, “It’s just mainly the housing market and the economy.”

Sarah Jean says health care is top of mind for her.

“I work at a hospital, so I see a lot of what happens behind the scenes and all that. I worry about the homeless population as well. Trans individuals, people who are queer,” she said.

Maggie Harder says health care is important to her, along with affordability.

“I’m thinking about public transit. Thinking about health care. Thinking about health care for trans individuals in particular. Thinking about fair grocery prices – It will be devastating if they rise even more.”

Riding profile

• Size: 36 km²
• Population: 126,560 (2021 Census)
• Number of electors on list: 98,124 (estimated)

Liberal incumbent Yasir Naqvi has represented the riding of Ottawa Centre since 2021.

Naqvi won the riding with 45.5 per cent of the vote in 2021. Former Liberal cabinet minister Catherine McKenna represented the riding between 2015 and 2021.

The riding has been represented by a Liberal or an NDP MP since 1979, with the late Paul Dewar representing the riding for the NDP between 2006 and 2015.

Candidates:

• Canadian Future Party: Andrea Chabot
• Independent: Zed Chebib
• Conservative Party: Paul D’Orsonnens
• NDP: Joel Harden
• Christian Heritage Party of Canada: Marie-Chantal Leriche
• Liberal Party: Yasir Naqvi (incumbent)
• Communist Party of Canada: Cashton Perry
• Green Party: Amanda Rosenstock
• Independent: Mike Salmon

With files from CTV News Ottawa’s Josh Pringle