Yasir Naqvi leading in Ottawa Centre

Ottawa Citizen

29-04-2025

Liberal Yasir Naqvi was leading in Ottawa Centre as preliminary results came in.
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With just over 11 per cent of polls reporting, Naqvi was winning more than 61 per cent of the vote. NDP candidate Joel Harden trailed in a distant second with slightly less than 20 per cent and Tory candidate Paul D'Orsonnens was in third with 16 per cent of the vote.
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Cheers erupted at Naqvi's election-night party at Beyond the Pale brewery in Centretown as Naqvi took his early lead.
Many of his campaign staffers and volunteers donned jersey-like t-shirts with 'Never 51' splashed across the back, a reference to U.S. President Donald Trump's repeated threats to make Canada an American state.
Naqvi supporter Hamza Arsbi said he sees Trump's threats as a key issue in the riding, which encompasses much of downtown Ottawa, Parliament Hill and surrounding core neighbourhoods.
'For most people in the area it matters a lot to them,' he said. 'It's a very motivating call to arms, especially in the capital.'
Meanwhile, at Harden's watch party, a crowd of about 50 supporters gathered at Eggspectation, a downtown diner that usually closes at 3 p.m. Orange, blue, and pink balloons bobbed gently above the booths, and caught the soft glow of the overhead lights of the rustic dinner.
As polls officially closed at 9:30 p.m., a volunteer nudged the volume up on the large TV mounted above the bar.
Conversations softened. But that did not last for long as loud cheers erupted when the NDP was projected to pick up a seat. 'NDP is on the board,' said one supporter.
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The race has been a rematch of the 2018 provincial election, which saw Naqvi ousted by Harden in a heated campaign.
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Historically, Ottawa Centre has long been a Liberal-NDP battleground, but in recent months, poll aggregator 338.com consistently predicted a Liberal win, calling the riding as 'safe' for the Grits in the run-up to Monday night.
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Before Naqvi was elected to the federal seat in 2021, he had represented the riding in the provincial legislature from 2007 until 2018, and was an international trade lawyer before that.
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Harden left his seat in the provincial legislature to try oust Naqvi a second time. The NDP's Catherine McKenney was won the seat in the recent provincial election.
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Ed Broadbent and Paul Dewar, two NDP heavyweights, held the riding back-to-back for more than a decade before Justin Trudeau's red wave swept the country in 2015. The Liberals have held the seat federally since then.
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First, Catherine McKenna was the riding's MP, after defeating Dewar in the 2015 election. She was the minister of environment and climate change from 2015 to 2019, and minister of infrastructure and communities from 2019 until 2021, when she decided to leave politics, making the opening for Naqvi.
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During the candidates' debate leading up to the election, Naqvi drew on his background in international trade when answering questions on how to deal with U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war.
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Naqvi said dealing with Trump involves outlining 'non-negotiables,' and that it's 'carved in stone' that Canada not become the 51st state. He said tariffs should be fought back dollar-for-dollar.
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