Another candidate has thrown their hat into the ring to fill the seat left by former Member of Provincial Parliament Monte McNaughton.
Keith Benn, a consultant and former geology professor from Port Lambton, has announced that he has secured the nomination to represent the New Blue Party of Ontario in an upcoming by-election to represent the riding of Lambton-Kent-Middlesex.
The position was left vacant after MPP McNaughton resigned in October 2023 to take a job in the private sector.
In an emailed statement, Benn said he is looking forward to meeting and speaking with the voters of Lambton-Kent-Middlesex and sharing “the importance of sending a new voice” to Queen’s Park.
Benn previously represented the New Blue Party during the Ontario general election in 2022 in the Sarnia-Lambton riding.
The Progressive Conservative Party held a nomination meeting on Saturday to determine its candidate for the by-election. The NDP and Liberal parties have yet to announce nomination meetings, nor has the province set a date for a by-election.
Premier Doug Ford is required to call a by-election within six months of an MPP position becoming vacant, as per the Legislative Assembly Act. McNaughton’s last day in office was October 6, 2023.