Campaign to be the next MP for Brantford Brant South is underway

The search for Brantford Brant South’s next MP is underway and already two candidates with histories of community service have declared their intentions to represent their respective parties in an upcoming byelection.

Joy O’Donnell, who represented the federal Liberals in the April 2025 election, has said she wants to carry the Liberal brand again while Dave Carrol has announced he wants to represent local Conservatives. The position of MP for the riding of Brantford-Brant South will be open after current MP Larry Brock steps down on Sept. 18.

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The MP announced earlier this month that he would leave the position to return to the crown attorney’s office in Brantford.

“After speaking with my family, church community, and neighbors across the riding, it became clear that this is the right time to step up and serve Brantford-Brant South at the next level,” Carrol said in a statement.

Carrol, in an interview, said the timing is right because all of his children are now adults and he made a commitment to his family that he would not run as a candidate while they were growing up and still at home.

“I’ve had a strong political bent since I was a kid and I’ve been a member of the Conservative EDA (electoral district Association) for the past 18 years,” Carrol said in an interview.

“Former MP Phil McColeman mentored me and showed me the benefits that public service can bring to a community. For the past five years, I’ve had the privilege of working with Larry Brock toward those same goals.”

Carrol is chair of the Brantford Canada Day Committee and a board of director for the Brant Community Healthcare System Foundation. He is also a member of the Homelessness, Addictions and Mental Health Advisory Council, the Chamber of Commerce Brantford Brant and a past member of the Chief’s advisory committee for the Brantford Police Service.

Meanwhile, O’Donnell, who finished second to Brock in the April 2025 election, said Team Joy is ready to run again.

A volunteer with many local organizations, O’Donnell is the president of the Chamber of Commerce Brantford-Brant, and has served as an election scrutineer and has been a supporter of other local Liberal candidates. She is the owner of Grand Financial Planning in Brantford.

,O’Donnell said the byelection gives the community an opportunity  to be represented in Ottawa by someone on the government side.

“We have much to do as a riding and as a country to address the current economic uncertainties and the people and businesses most directly impacted here in our community by the Trump tariffs,” O’Donnell said adding that the Carney government is on the right track.

Meanwhile, the local NDP federal riding association has established a candidate search committee, riding association president Brad Ward said.

“The interview process will take some time to ensure the right person is nominated to represent the NDP in Brantford-Brant South,” Ward said. “Once the potential candidate or candidates are properly vetted, a nomination meeting will be held to select the person to represent the black and orange against the other political parties.

“We’re  ahead of the game here in our riding since we created our nomination committee about a month ago in preparation for any upcoming elections.”

The Green Party is also expected to field a candidate in the upcoming byelection which must take place sometime between November 2026 and April 2027.

The Conservatives have represented Brantford-Brant since 2008 when Phil McColeman won the riding of Brant, later renamed to Brantford-Brant until 2021 when he retired. He was followed by Brock who won the riding in 2021 and re-elected in 2025.

Vball@postmedia.com

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