Incumbent Trinity-Spadina MP Olivia Chow is entering her third decade in public life, but seems to be just getting started.
In 2006, she edged incumbent Tony Ianno by less than 4,000 votes. But in a strange twist, Chow will go up against Ianno’s wife, Christine Innes, in October.
Innes has the support of some high-profile Liberals such as Michael Ignatieff and Bob Rae. Chow has high-profile support of her own in her husband, NDP leader Jack Layton.
"It is always good to have more women running," Chow said upon hearing the news she would be up against Innes in October. Chow was an advocate for women’s issues during her time as a city councillor, as well as the homeless, immigrants and children. She was Toronto’s first Asian woman city councillor when she was elected in 1991.
Chow was born in Hong Kong, and immigrated to Canada when she was 13 years old. She is fluent in Cantonese, a language spoken by many of her constituents.
She first became active in politics in 1985 while working for NDP MP Dan Heap. He lent his support to her candidacy for school board trustee, which she won later that year.
She was a popular member of the board, and went on to be elected to the Toronto city council several times by large margins. She married Layton in 1988.
Her transition to federal politics was not an easy one. She lost her bid for the Trinity-Spadina seat twice before finally beating Ianno on her third try.
She shared time on the campaign trail with her husband; when asked whether he would rather have a bath or a shower, Layton responded he would rather shower, "preferably with Olivia!" The couple kissed and discussed their relationship openly in public.
But the campaign trail also had a nasty side — federal Liberal Michael Klander compared her to a chow chow dog, forcing him to resign as the executive vice-president of the federal Liberal’s Ontario wing.
The campaign trail of 2008 has, so far, been more civil, but that doesn’t mean the Trinity-Spadina riding won’t be tight race.