A familiar face is throwing his hat into the ring to campaign in Chatham-Kent’s upcoming municipal election.
Former Member of Provincial Parliament Rick Nicholls has filed his nomination papers to run for one of two seats on CK council in South Chatham, Ward 8.
Nicholls, who represented the riding of Chatham-Kent-Leamington as MPP from 2011 until 2022, said he has kept active in politics over the last four years, lobbying on various issues at the provincial and federal levels.
“By keeping my fingers in the political pie, so to speak, it whet my appetite,” said Nicholls. “I still have a voice for the community, and I want that voice to be heard. I want to be able to listen.”
Nicholls said he has also kept up with municipal politics and expressed concern over what he called “reckless spending” by the current Chatham-Kent council. The former MPP said he feels that local roads and other municipal infrastructure have been neglected in favour of other projects like the Community Hub in downtown Chatham.
“We need to have accountability when it comes to the public purse,” said Nicholls. “I just want to ensure people are represented well.”
Nicholls was no stranger to controversy during his time in provincial politics. While serving as an MPP for the PC Party, Nicholls made headlines in 2015 when he announced at Queen’s Park that he did not believe in evolution. He was later removed from the PC caucus in August 2021 after refusing to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or provide a medical exemption. Nicholls joined the Ontario Party in December 2021, becoming its first sitting member in the Legislature.
“I am excited to campaign again,” said Nicholls about his return to politics.
A total of seven candidates have filed their nomination papers for Chatham-Kent’s Ward 8 as of publication. You can find the updated list of nominees on the 2026 Municipal Election Information page on our website.
Local residents will head to the polls on October 26.