Days after officially stepping down as a Liberal member of Parliament, Shaun Chen says he is running for Toronto city council.
Chen confirmed to CTV News on Wednesday his plans to register as a candidate for the ward of Scarborough North, which he represented federally since 2015.
He stepped down on Aug. 15 to deal with “significant health issues” stemming from a serious motor vehicle accident while he was commuting to Ottawa last year.
Chen said in a statement announcing his resignation earlier this month that since the accident, he hadn’t been able to travel to the nation’s capital as frequently as the role requires.
“After discussing the situation with my family, I have decided that it is best for me to step down as a Member of Parliament.”
Following his announcement, news surfaced that he had travelled to China with the Hakka Canadian Association months after his accident, which led some critics to question his reason for stepping down.
Chen’s office later confirmed to CTV News in a statement that he flew to China from March 14 to 22 as the House of Commons was on parliamentary break. “The Member of Parliament did not vote from outside Canada,” his office added, refuting online claims.
A source close to Chen also told CTV News that the then-MP took the trip hoping it would provide a change of scenery as he dealt with the health issues.
Before being elected as an MP, Chen was a Toronto District School Board trustee and served as chair from December 2014 to August 2015.
As of Wednesday, there are six candidates running in Scarborough North, including incumbent councillor Jamaal Myers and Chen’s former Liberal caucus colleague Han Dong.
Aspiring candidates have until Friday to file their nomination papers. Torontonians will head to the polls on Oct. 26.
With files from Stephanie Ha, CTV Ottawa News bureau manager
