Ryan Meili to run for NDP in Saskatoon byelection

The race is heating up in the upcoming Saskatoon Meewasin byelection.

Dr. Ryan Meili was selected by the province's New Democratic Party to run at a nomination meeting Monday night.

Meili is the founder and executive director of Upstream, a group dedicated to examining the social causes of health problems, as well as a family doctor in inner-city Saskatoon. He also ran as a leadership candidate for the Saskatchewan NDP in 2009 and 2013.

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So far, there are three people running for the nomination with the Saskatchewan Party. Brent Penner, Roxanne Kaminski and Marv Friesen have all put their names forward. A nomination meeting will be held Jan. 30.

Meanwhile, Liberal leader Darrin Lamoureaux will run for the seat for his party.

The seat was previously held by Sask. Party MLA Roger Parent, who died in November just one day after the government announced he had been diagnosed with cancer. The 63-year-old had been an MLA since 2011.

In a recent Mainstreet/Postmedia poll, 37 per cent of people surveyed in the area would vote for the NDP, while 35 per cent would vote for the Sask. Party.

Mainstreet Research reports 603 Saskatoon Meewasin electors were surveyed on Jan. 20 and 21. A random sample of this size would yield a margin of error of +/- 3.97 per cent, 19 times out of 20.

A date for the byelection has not yet been announced. According to Elections Saskatchewan, it must be held before May 29.