SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
With the territorial election less than a month away, the list of candidates for MLA seats listed on the GNWT website is filling out.

Nominations close at 2 p.m. Friday and candidates must be at least 18 years old, must be Canadian citizens and must have resided in the territory for the past 12 months, according to the Elections NWT website.

The election is set for Nov. 23.

Signs posted around the city indicate a broad field of candidates running for election into the legislative assembly in the seven Yellowknife ridings - Yellowknife North, Yellowknife South, Yellowknife Centre, Kam Lake, Range Lake, Frame Lake and Great Slave.

By press time no candidates had signed up to run in the Tu Nedhe-Willideh riding which includes neighbouring communities Dettah and Ndilo and an area that touches both the Nunavut and Saskatchewan borders.

City councillor Dan Wong's campaign headquarters is next to the Vietnamese Noodle House, a mural with his face and name has been erected in Niven Lake and a canoe with the words "vote Dan Wong" sits on its side on Franklin Avenue heading into Old Town. Wong's competition for the newly named Yellowknife North riding - formerly part of retiring MLA Bob Bromley's Weledeh riding - is another city councillor, Cory Vanthuyne. Both Wong and Vanthuyne's names are posted as candidates on Elections NWT's website.

First-time politician Jan Fullerton, executive director for Skills Canada NWT, has announced she'll be running for outgoing MLA Wendy Bisaro's Frame Lake seat - the two-term MLA announced her retirement earlier in the 16th Legislative Assembly.

Former MLA Roy Erasmus Sr., while is name is not on the list yet, says he is also seeking to the Frame Lake seat.

That seat is also being sought by Kevin O'Reilly, the executive director of the Independent Environmental Monitoring Agency that keeps tabs on Giant Mine. David Wasylciw, president of Montessori Schools in Yellowknife, has also firmed up his intention to run in the popular riding, although he earlier questioned whether he would make another run at the legislative assembly, having finished second to Daryl Dolynny for the Range Lake seat in 2011.

So far, only O'Reilly's name is listed as a Frame Lake candidate on the Elections NWT website.

Dolynny's name is posted on the Elections NWT website as one of two candidates so far for the Range Lake seat. Caroline Cochrane-Johnson, executive director for the Centre for Northern Families, has also declared her intention to also run for that.

Hawkins and self-employed candidate Julie Green are the names listed on the Elections Canada website for MLA Yellowknife Centre.

Hawkins' campaign signs are up, as well as those belonging to Western Arctic Liberal Association president Kieron Testart, who is looking to take over Justice Minister David Ramsay's Kam Lake riding. By press time, both were listed on the Elections NWT website.

Health Minister Glen Abernethy is listed as a candidate in the Great Slave Riding.

Thus far, no candidates have stepped forward to challenge Premier Bob McLeod's Yellowknife South seat but no names aside from the premier were listed as nominees for the seat on the Elections NWT website as of Tuesday.

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