Ottawa mayoral race gets 2nd candidate

The race to become Ottawa's next mayor is now officially a competition.Robert G. Gauthier filed his nomination papers at city hall Wednesday, becoming the second contender for the seat as the head of Ottawa's city council.

He joined the race two days after Bay Ward councillor Alex Cullen.

Voters will choose Ottawa's next mayor, city councillors and school board trustees on Oct. 25, the scheduled municipal election day for communities across Ontario. Ottawa nominations will remain open until Sept. 10.

Gauthier, formerly the publisher of the independent newspaper National Capital News, has previously run for elected positions at various levels of government, including the position of Ottawa mayor in 1997.

That year, he lost to Jim Watson, who is currently Ontario's Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing and the Liberal MPP for Ottawa West-Nepean.

Watson is expected to announce in coming weeks whether he will launch a bid to become Ottawa's mayor again.

As of Thursday, Mayor Larry O'Brien had not yet said whether he will run for re-election.