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It’s early in the federal election campaign but there are plenty of good races emerging as the battle for Quebec picks up where it left off in 2011.

The New Democratic Party wants to hang on to as many seats as it can since almost sweeping the province in the orange wave in the 2011 election. The Bloc Québécois is seeking to redeem itself, while the Liberals, Conservatives and Greens are struggling to get traction in the race.

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But elections are won and lost in individual ridings, so here is a look at some of the more interesting races underway in the lead up to the Oct. 19 vote. In some cases the races are tight, in others former defeated MPs are looking to get back in the game while in others star candidates are giving politics a try for the first time.

Mount Royal

The Conservatives have been chasing this traditional Liberal riding (it was once former prime minister Pierre Trudeau’s) for the last few campaigns, but it has always eluded them. It may have been symbolic, but Prime Minister Stephen Harper kicked off his campaign in the riding on Aug. 2. He was introduced to the crowd of 300 by candidate and former Equality Party leader Robert Libman, a former provincial MNA. The riding could be due for change sparked by the decision of former Liberal MP Irwin Cotler to not seek re-election. The Liberal share of the vote has also been slipping over the last few elections. Anthony Housefather, the current mayor of Côte-St-Luc, is running for the Liberals. The NDP candidate is Mario Jacinto Rimbao. The Conservatives do not currently have any seats on the island of Montreal.