With the federal election less than two months away, a pair of local candidates are shifting into high gear.

At a nomination meeting in Tilbury last night, the NDP acclaimed Tony Walsh as their candidate in Chatham-Kent-Leamington.

“In Chatham-Kent-Leamington, we want good health care, we want secure, good paying jobs, we want to know we can retire without going broke, we want be able to afford homes, we want clean air and clean water, and we want to know our kids will have every chance to succeed,” Walsh says.

Walsh also ran in 2015, placing third behind Conservative MP Dave Van Kesteren and Liberal Katie Omstead.

This time around, Walsh will be facing off against Dave Epp for the Conservatives, Omstead for the Liberals, Mark Vercouteren and the Green Party, and newcomer John Balagtas who is carrying the PPC (People’s Party of Canada) banner.

Omstead, meantime, was in downtown Chatham last night alongside Burlington MP and Minister of Democratic Institutions Karina Gould, cutting the ribbon at her new campaign office on King Street West.

She was nominated to run for the Liberals once again back in December. 

Omstead has spent the last few months going door-to-door to garner support and says with the impending retirement of Conservative MP Dave Van Kestereen, she believes the riding is ready for change.