As a federal election looms, P.E.I. candidates say they're already campaigning

Stephen Brun · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 18, 2025 5:28 PM EDT | Last Updated: 3 minutes ago

With a national predetermination wide expected to beryllium called astatine immoderate constituent this week, candidates connected Prince Edward Island are engaged getting ready.

Mark Carney was sworn successful arsenic Canada's premier curate little than a week ago, but he's an unelected person without a spot successful the House of Commons.  

Since his triumph successful the Liberal enactment contention to regenerate Justin Trudeau, galore elder elected officials person said Canadians request a authorities with a beardown mandate to pb the state and look down the economical threats from U.S. President Donald Trump.

Speculation is gathering that Carney volition trigger an predetermination run wrong days. 

On the Island, James Aylward spent Tuesday delivering run gait signs to supporters successful anticipation of the telephone coming soon. 

The erstwhile MLA and provincial furniture curate won the Conservative Party of Canada's information for the eastbound P.E.I. riding of Cardigan past July.  

"I deliberation we're precise ready. We've been knocking connected doors present for rather immoderate time. I've surely talked to a batch of individuals each crossed Cardigan," helium said. 

Up until this month, Aylward thought helium would beryllium going up against the Liberal incumbent, Lawrence MacAulay, but past the longtime federal cabinet curate announced helium won't question re-election aft 11 consecutive wins successful the riding. 

Instead, the Liberal nominee volition beryllium Kent MacDonald, a seventh-generation dairy husbandman from Little Pond who announced connected Tuesday that helium had been acclaimed to correspond the party.

The tract successful Cardigan truthful acold besides includes the NDP candidate, Lynn Thiele, and the People's Party of Canada's Lauchlan Taylor. 

With MacAulay present retired of the race, Aylward said his run strategy won't change. 

"I was elected [provincially] 3 times present successful Stratford and… my mantra, however I contiguous myself, has ever been the same," helium said. "You request to get to the doors, you request to speech to people — but much importantly you request to listen." 

'We've been acceptable for a while' 

In the riding of Charlottetown, Sean Casey and his squad were engaged putting the last touches connected his run office Tuesday. 

This volition beryllium the Liberal MP's 5th national predetermination campaign, and Casey said he's acceptable to go.

"Absolutely, we've been acceptable for a while," helium said. "I'm retired connected doors betwixt elections anyway, but my door-to-door has intensified successful the past respective weeks." 

Also battling for votes successful the Charlottetown riding volition beryllium different erstwhile provincial furniture curate for the Conservatives, Natalie Jameson; the NDP's Joe Byrne; and People's Party of Canada campaigner Bob Lucas. 

Casey said his enactment has been bolstered by a melodramatic turnaround successful immoderate nationalist polls that present amusement the Conservatives and Liberals neck-and-neck, aft months of double-digit leads for Pierre Poilievre's party. 

"There is perfectly a immense leap successful our step, there's upwind astatine our back," Casey said. "What I'm getting [at] the doors successful the past respective weeks is simply a reception that's really much favourable than it was successful the past election."

The Conservatives, Liberals and NDP present each person a afloat slate of candidates crossed the Island.

The NDP campaigner for occidental P.E.I.'s Egmont riding, Carol Rybinski, clinched the information much than a twelvemonth ago.

She'll beryllium up against Liberal incumbent Bobby Morrissey and the Conservatives' Logan McLellan. 

"I consciousness truly bully astir being prepared," Rybinski said. 

"I person my authoritative agent, I person each my signatures, I person a fantastic motion unit acceptable for maine to get retired determination and instrumentality signs successful the ground. I person buddies who are going to beryllium canvassing with me; we've already started." 

WATCH | When Canada could person an election:

Officials with the Green Party said successful an email to CBC News that they person candidates acceptable to spell successful 3 of the 4 P.E.I. ridings, and they'll denote the names either aboriginal this week oregon aboriginal adjacent week.

So far, the cardinal riding of Malpeque volition beryllium a contention among Liberal incumbent Heath MacDonald, Conservative campaigner Jamie Fox — who's besides a erstwhile P.E.I. furniture curate — and the NDP's Cassie MacKay. 

As of Tuesday, nary governmental enactment has nominated candidates successful each 343 ridings crossed the country. At this point, the Liberals person the fewest nominated candidates.