Summerside-Wilmot byelection called for Oct. 17

Voters in the P.E.I. district of Summerside-Wilmot will decide on a new MLA onOct. 17.

Premier Wade MacLauchlan dropped the writ on the byelection Tuesday morning.

"Holding the byelection in October will ensure residents of Summerside-Wilmot are represented in the next sitting of the legislative assembly, which begins in November," said Premier MacLauchlan in a news release.

The byelection became necessary when Liberal Janice Sherry resigned on Aug. 1.

• What's next for Summerside-Wilmot in wake of Sherry resignation

P.E.I.'s four major parties have already named their candidates.

• Scott Gaudet, NDP
• Lynne Lund, Green
• Chris Palmer, Liberal
• Brian Ramsay, Progressive Conservative

Ramsay came close to winning the seat in the general election in 2015, losing out to Sherry by just 30 votes.

Gaudet also ran in the district in 2015, placing a distant third.

Lund, the Green deputy leader, ran in the neighbouring district of Kensington-Malpeque last year, placing third with 10 per cent of the vote.

Palmer, a local entrepreneur, he has worked on previous Liberal campaigns, but has not been a candidate before.

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