The campaigning was well under way before the byelection was even called Wednesday for the London West riding.

Things ramped up once the call came, with Liberal candidate Ken Coran in the hot seat.

The former Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation president, who fought against the Liberals during teacher contract negotiations, also has connections to the NDP and has admitted friendships with London Fanshawe NDP MP Irene Mathyssen and his rival in this byelection, Peggy Sattler.

That had all of the other candidates chiming in.

"They've made themselves the issue as opposed to talking about real issues," says Al Gretzky, who is now running for the Freedom Party.

Also running is Gary Brown for the Green Party.

The Riding

Close to 120,000 people live in London West and there are more than 90,000 eligible voters. It was formed in 1999 and the Liberals have claimed it for the majority of that time.

The riding traditionally has had good voter turnout, with 54.2 per cent voter turnout in the last election, compared to the provincial average of 49.2 per cent.

Chris Bentley held the riding for a decade before his resignation on Valentine's Day.

Conservative Bob Wood served for a term before that, beating Liberal Darrel Skidmore by a narrow margin.

In the 2011 election, Bentley won the seat with 46 per cent of the vote over the closest rival Conservative Ali Chabhar - who received 29 per cent of voter support.

The median age in London West is 40 and the median household income is more than $70,000.

Candidates’ Statements:

Ken Coran, Liberal: "I believe in Premier Wynne and it is her values of collaboration, openness and honesty that have drawn me into politics I have never been shy about expressing my views so rest assured I will be a strong and loud voice for the families."

Ali Chahbar, Progressive Conservative: “Now that it's official, good luck (not too much though!) to Peggy & Ken. Looking forward a lively & spirited discussion.” (Via Twitter @AliChahbar)

Peggy Sattler, NDP: "I am running in this election because now, more than ever, people in London need a leader who brings people together and gets the job done. The byelection will give the citizens of London West an opportunity to choose an MPP who is committed to hard work, accountability, and delivering results."

Gary Brown, Green Party: “Gary articulates clearly the relationship between the economy and the environment. He uses his knowledge and background to pursue solutions that are already working in other communities. He works to promote green values and a prosperous economy.”  (From the party website)

Al Gretzky, Freedom Party: “We believe that the economic security of people in Ontario requires that the province immediately stop digging us deeper into debt, and begin to fill-in the hole, so that we can all get back on the road to prosperity.”

- Compiled by Kathy Rumleski, CTV London