Mona Fortier wins Liberal nomination to run in Ottawa-Vanier byelection

Mona Fortier will represent the Liberal Party in an upcoming byelection in Ottawa-Vanier, the seat left vacant by the death of Liberal MPMaurilBlanger from ALS.

After a long day of counting, the local businesswoman was announcedthe winner Sunday beating out seven other candidates includingKhatera Akbari,Jean Claude Dubuisson, Eric Khaiat,Francis Leblanc,Ainsley Malhotra, Nicolas Moyer and Veronique Soucy.

The party said "several thousand" registeredLiberalscame out for the vote.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has until Feb. 19to call the date of the byelection.

If Fortiergoes on to win the byelection, she'd be the first womanto represent the Liberal stronghold since the boundary was drawn in 1935.

The NDP will be represented by University of Ottawa law professor Emilie Taman, who ran unsuccessfully in the riding during the 2015 election.

The Conservative Party has yet to name a candidate.

Residents went red in a recent provincial byelection, choosing University of Ottawa's law deanNathalie Des Rosiers as their new MPP.