Ottawa Centre is a Canadian federal and provincial electoral district that covers most of downtown Ottawa, Ontario including the Parliament. It includes the neighbourhoods of Downtown, Centretown, The Glebe, Old Ottawa South and others.

The riding has traditionally voted Liberal, with one exception being in the 1984 federal election when widespread disaffection caused it to go to the NDP. It was won by Liberal Mac Harb in the 1988 election who held it until 2003 when he was appointed to the Senate. The riding was left vacant until the 2004 election when Ed Broadbent a former leader of the NDP defeated Liberal Richard Mahoney a close ally of Prime Minister Paul Martin. Other minor candidates included David Chernushenko of the Greens and Mike Murphy of the Conservatives Louis Lang of the Marxist-Leninists, Michael Foster , Stuart Ryan of the Communists, Robert Gauthier, and Carla Marie Dancey.

Provincially the riding is represented by Liberal Richard Patten.

The riding has a very large government presence the northern part of the riding contains many government office buildings and apartment buildings housing government workers. The southern part of the riding is home to the upper middle class Glebe neighbourhood that is also home to many civil servants.

Federal district history

The district was created in 1966 from Carleton , Ottawa West and Ottawa East.

Election results

1968 Canadian election

1. George McIlraith, Liberal (19,578)
2. Murray A. Heit , Prog. Cons. (11,602)
3. June B. Ralph , N.D.P. (2,729)

1972 Canadian election

1. Hugh Poulin , Liberal (14,101)
2. Hugh Segal, Prog. Cons. (12,899)
3. Irving Greenberg , N.D.P. (9,195)
4. Rocco Zavarella, Social Credit (237)
5. Paul Herman, Not affiliated (177)

1974 Canadian election

1. Hugh Poulin, Liberal (15,308)
2. Hugh Segal, Prog. Cons. (12,138)
3. Irving Greenberg, N.D.P. (6,739)
4. Bela Egyed , Not affiliated (877)
5. John Graham, Social Credit (139)
6. Ray Quann, Not affiliated (63)
7. Phil Sarazen, Marxist-Leninist (62)

October 16, 1978 by-election

1. Robert de Cotret, Prog. Cons. (12,078)
2. Stephen W. Langdon , N.D.P. (7,470)
3. Bryce MacKasey , Liberal (7,361)
4. Michael John Houlton, Independent (254)

1979 Canadian election

1. John Evans , Liberal (19,758)
2. Robert de Cotret, Prog. Cons. (18,728)
3. John Smart , N.D.P. (10,213)
4. Robin Mathews, Not affiliated (302)
5. Michael John Charette, Independent (191)
6. Marvin Glass, Communist (166)

1980 Canadian election

1. John Evans, Liberal (21,659)
2. Jean Pigott , Prog. Cons. (17,181)
3. John Smart, N.D.P. (7,529)
4. David Langille, Rhinoceros (358)
5. Robin Mathews, Not affiliated (170)
6. Marvin Glass, Communist (116)
7. John C. Turmel, Independent (62)
8. Robin Collins, Marxist-Leninist (44)
9. Iqbal Ben-Tahir, Independent (36)
10. Ernest Bouchard, Not affiliated (32)

1984 Canadian election

1. Mike Cassidy, N.D.P. (17,844)
2. Dan Chilcott , Prog. Cons. (17,790)
3. John Evans, Liberal (15,380)
4. Barry J. Heidt, Rhinoceros (382)
5. Gordon Scott McLeod, Green (285)
6. Marvin Glass, Communist (93)
7. Ray Joseph Cormier, Independent (71)
8. Rodger L. James, Independent (45)
9. Marc Gauvin, Independent (29)

1988 Canadian election

1. Mac Harb, Liberal (18,096)
2. Mike Cassidy, N.D.P. (17,334)
3. Bob Plamondon , Prog. Cons. (13,142)
4. John W. Dodson, Green (300)
5. Leapin Liz Johnson, Rhinoceros (292)
6. John C. Turmel, Independent (152)
7. Michael K.B. Hahn, Independent (115)
8. Rudolph Shally, Libertarian (111)
9. Hardial Bains, Not affiliated (66)
10. Istvan Kovach, C.C.F. (30)

1993 Canadian election

1. Mac Harb, Liberal (23,816)
2. Marion Dewar , N.D.P. (10,398)
3. Ian R. Lee , Prog. Cons. (5,453)
4. Len Tucker , Reform (4,380)
5. John Foster , National Party (740)
6. Frank Thompson , Green (546)
7. Neil Paterson , Natural Law (328)
8. Hardial Bains, Marxist-Leninist (86)
9. Clayoquot Keith Ashdown, Independent (71)
10. Pauline G. Morrissette, Abolitionist (36)
11. Marie-Thérèse Costisella, Commonwealth (34)
12. Vic Wilczur, Independent (0)

1997 Canadian election

1. Mac Harb, Liberal (25,987)
2. Jamey Heath , N.D.P. (13,646)
3. Peter Annis , Prog. Cons. (9,391)
4. John Perocchio , Reform (6,651)
5. Frank de Jong, Green (855)
6. Howard Bertram, Action (236)
7. Neil Paterson, Natural Law (211)
8. Susan Cumby, Independent (190)
9. Hardial Bains, Marxist-Leninist (150)
10. Malek Khouri, Independent (92)
11. Ray Joseph Cormier, Independent (91)

2000 Canadian election

1. Mac Harb, Liberal (22,710)
2. Heather-Jane Robertson , N.D.P. (13,515)
3. David Brown , Canadian Alliance (10,163)
4. Beverly Mitchell , Prog. Cons. (7,501)
5. Chris Bradshaw, Green (1,529)
6. Brad Powers , Marijuana (813)
7. Carla Marie Dancey, Action (208)
8. Marvin Glass, Communist (139)
9. Neil Paterson, Natural Law (110)
10. Mistahi Corkill, Marxist-Leninist (66)

2004 Canadian election

1. Ed Broadbent, N.D.P. (25,734)
2. Richard Mahoney, Liberal (19,478)
3. Mike Murphy , Conservative (11,933)
4. David Chernushenko, Green (4,730)
5. Michael Foster, Marijuana (455)
6. Robert Gauthier, Independent (121)
7. Stuart Ryan, Communist (90)
8. Carla Marie Dancey, Action (76)
9. Louis Lang, Marxist-Leninist (67)

Federal Members

Provincial electoral district history

The district was created before the 1968 election. Prior to the 1999 election, the provincial district did not have the same borders as the federal district.

Results since 1995

Ontario general election, 1995

1. Richard Patten, Liberal (11,150)
2. Evelyn Gigantes, N.D.P. (9,438)
3. Chris Thompson , Prog. Cons. (6,715)
4. Ron Parker, Natural Law (365)
5. Andrew Van Iterson, Green (349)
6. Malek Khouri, Communist (210)
7. John C. Turmel, Independent (173)

Ontario general election, 1999

1. Richard Patten, Liberal (17,956)
2. Ray Kostuch , Prog. Cons. (15,403)
3. Elisabeth Arnold , N.D.P. (11,977)
4. Chris Bradshaw, Green (1,231)
5. Marvin Glass, Communist (174)
6. Wayne Foster, Natural Law (170)
7. Mistahi Corkill, Independent (132)

Ontario general election, 2003

1. Richard Patten, Liberal (22,295)
2. Jeff Atkinson , N.D.P. (11,362)
3. Joe Varner , Prog. Cons. (11,217)
4. Chris Bradshaw, Green (3,821)
5. Stuart Ryan, Communist (306)
6. Matt Szymanowicz, Freedom (218)
7. Fakhry Guirguis, Independent (214)