Local Liberal candidate Terry Sheehan has won each of his last three federal elections against Conservative candidates, but the next contest will be his first with a new party leader.
Sheehan was first elected in 2015, part of a majority Liberal government that first brought Justin Trudeau to power as prime minister.
Now, under Liberal leader Mark Carney, Sheehan is taking a fourth run at a seat in Parliament — this time in a newly expanded Sault Ste. Marie — Algoma riding, which includes the Sault and runs northwest past Wawa and east past Elliot Lake.
Sheehan's re-election signs started being set up shortly after Sunday's election call.
"They were just there and ready to go. We always keep everything. I'm a big believer in reusing and recycling — it's good for the environment and it's fiscally responsible," said Sheehan in a phone interview.
In 2015, Sheehan defeated incumbent Conservative MP Bryan Hayes by 5,016 votes. Four years later, his margin of victory narrowed against Conservative candidate Sonny Spina to just 2,877 votes, and in a rematch four years later in 2021 Sheehan bested Spina by just 247 votes.
Announced candidates in the riding include former police chief Hugh Stevenson for the Conservative Party of Canada, Laura Mayer of the NDP and PPC candidate Arnold Heino.
Asked if he thinks the 2025 election will be another close contest, Sheehan said he never campaigns against a person.
"I campaign from the position of public service. I'm proud of my history in Sault Ste. Marie," said Sheehan.
That history includes serving on Sault Ste. Marie City Council from 2003 to 2015 after serving two terms as a trustee on the Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board.
"I'm proud to say I've broken records for the funding that I brought in to Sault Ste. Marie. I've met with the mayors in the district, many of them, and they know I have the ability to also deliver for their communities," said Sheehan.
After the election was called, Sheehan began door knocking and putting up election signs. In the evening, Sheehan hosted a campaign kick off event at the Marconi Club.
"I love the doors. It's the best way to do politics — hitting the doors face to face," said Sheehan.
While the 2021 election was very much about pandemic response and affordability issues, Sheehan said this time around he is mostly hearing from people at the doors about U.S. President Donald Trump, his rhetoric about Canada as the 51st state and the effects of a trade war driven by tariffs.
Sheehan said this election is about sovereignty and the future of Canada and what the tariffs mean for cost of living increases, jobs and an array of other issues.
"Top of mind for people is economic security because If Trump gets his way, he's going to devastate our economy and people are feeling that he's doing this and everyone's saying, including our our top leadership, that he really wants to jeopardize our security.
"If that happens, we would be in such dire straits. So we're investing in our military in all sorts of ways. We're investing in infrastructure. We're getting big projects done and we're going to buy Canadian and we're going to use steel."
Sheehan said although Carney has only served as prime minister for just over a week, the new Liberal leader took decisive action in cancelling the consumer carbon tax.
"He's jumped right into the job job and met with world leaders and he has their respect and he's going to be the best person to Sault Ste. Marie and the Algoma District to vote for to get back to a place where we are shown respect by the United States," said Sheehan.
As police chief, Stevenson has advocated for years for improvements to be made in response to Bill C75, called by some the Liberal 'catch-and-release' legislation.
Sheehan said the Liberal government has already taken steps to improve the legislation.
"We listened to the the police association and we have amended laws to improve our justice system," said Sheehan.
"The administration of justice is, in the vast majority, in the province's hands — they appoint the judges, they appoint the [justices of the peace] that see the vast majority of these cases.
"We've been asking the province, and I think [Premier Doug] Ford has just recently called for judges and justices of the peace to not release these people. So that's good news, we just have to continue to do that."