Here are the local MPP candidates running in this year's election

With the Ontario provincial election period set to begin Wednesday, a number of candidates will be on this year's ballots.

The campaign will be for a June 2 election, but Elections Ontario is encouraging residents to vote earlier this year in hopes of thinning crowds amid the pandemic.

Here are the Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) candidates that have declared their candidacy in and around the Waterloo Region area:

Wellington-Halton Hills

Incumbent: Ted Arnott (Progressive Conservative)

Diane Ballantyne (New Democratic Party)

Ryan Kahro (Green)

Stephen Kitras (New Blue)

Haldimand-Norfolk

Ken Hewitt (PC)

Erik Coverdale (Green)

Nate Hawkins (New Blue)

Bobbi Ann Brady (Independent)

Mackenzie Preston (None Of The Above Party)

Sheldon Simpson (Ontario Party)

Brantford-Brant

Incumbent: Will Bouma (PC)

Harvey Bischof (NDP)

Ruby Toor (Liberal)

Karleigh Csordas (Green)

Tad Brudzinski (New Blue)

Nicholas Archer (NOTA)

Rob Ferguson (Libertarian)

Kitchener South-Hespeler  

Jess Dixon (PC)

Joanne Weston (NDP)

Ismail Mohamed (Liberal)

David Weber (Green)

John Teat (New Blue)

David Gillies (Ontario Party)

Waterloo

Incumbent: Catherine Fife (NDP)

Andrew Aitken (PC)

Jennifer Tuck (Liberal)

Shefaza Esmail (Green)

Volodymr Voznyuk (New Blue)

Oxford

Incumbent: Ernie Hardeman (PC)

Lindsay Wilson (NDP)

Mary Holmes (Liberal)

Cheryle Baker (Green)

Connie Oldenburger (New Blue)

Karl Toews (Ontario Party)

Kitchener-Conestoga

Incumbent: Mike Harris Jr. (PC)

Karen Meissner (NDP)

Melanie Van Alphen (Liberal)

Nasir Abdulle (Green)

Jim Karahalios (New Blue)

Dufferin-Caledon

Incumbent: Sylvia Jones (PC)

Tess Prendergast (NDP)

Bob Gordanier (Liberal)

Laura Campbell (Green)

Andrea Banyai (New Blue)

Cambridge

Incumbent: Belinda Karahalios (New Blue Party)

Brian Riddell (PC)

Majorie Knight (NDP)

Surekha Shenoy (Liberal)

Carla Johnson (Green)

Kitchener Centre

Incumbent: Laura Mae Lindo (NDP)

Jim Schmidt (PC)

Kelly Steiss (Liberal)

Wayne Mak (Green)

Peter Beimers (New Blue)

Perth-Wellington

Matthew Rae (PC)

Jo-Dee Burbach (NDP)

Ashley Fox (Liberal)

Laura Bisutti (Green)

Bob Hosken (New Blue)

Sandy MacGregor (Ontario Party)

Guelph

Incumbent: Mike Schreiner (Green)

Peter McSherry (PC)

James Parr (NDP)

Raechelle Devereaux (Liberal)

Will Lomker (New Blue)

Paul Taylor (NOTA)

Huron-Bruce

Incumbent: Lisa M. Thompson (PC)

Laurie Hazzard (NDP)

Shelley Blackmore (Liberal)

Matthew Van Ankum (Green)

Matt Kennedy (New Blue)

Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound

Rick Byers (PC)

Selwyn Hicks (Liberal)

Danielle Valiquette (Green)

Vince Grimaldi (New Blue)

Suzanne Coles (Ontario Party)

Joel Loughead (NOTA)

Simcoe-Grey

Brian Saunderson (PC)

Ted Crysler (Liberal)

Allan Kuhn (Green)

David Ghobrial (New Blue)

William Gordon (NOTA)

This list is ongoing. Candidates will be added and removed as information changes.