On succession

Among the many problems with the Red Green deal between the Libs and the Greens was the fact that Elizabeth May's choice of riding was one where a strong young NDP voice was already on the verge of knocking off Peter MacKay. But the Halifax Chronicle Herald reports that Alexis MacDonald may soon find her way into Parliament anyway, as MacDonald is expected to announce her candidacy for the nomination in Halifax:

It seems the federal Halifax riding will get its first declared candidate Tuesday in the race to replace NDP icon Alexa McDonough.

New Democrat Alexis MacDonald, who made relatively strong showings in Central Nova, the domain of Conservative Peter MacKay, in 2004 and 2006, has a news conference scheduled at Pier 21. We hear she plans to run for the party nomination.

Ms. MacDonald would be the first declared candidate in the nomination contests for any party, though there’s no shortage of interest in taking a shot at the seat held by Ms. McDonough since 1997.

It remains to be seen who else may want to make a run at the seat: with the Nova Scotia NDP on the verge of forming government, it would seem that the MLAs whose names have been floated as other contenders may have ample reason to stay on the provincial scene.

But with MacDonald in the race, the NDP can be assured of having at least one star name in the mix to succeed McDonough. And if MacDonald can carry out anywhere near as much organization-building that she managed in Central Nova (where she more than doubled the NDP's share of the vote), then the seat figures to soon be hers for a long time to come.

(h/t to David Young at Babble.)