OTTAWA -- NDP leadership candidate Niki Ashton says she is expecting a baby in November.
Ashton, a Manitoba MP, is one of six candidates seeking the party's top job.
The leadership race is scheduled to wrap up in October, when rank-and-file members pick a successor to Tom Mulcair.
Ashton says she plans to carry on her work, adding she plans to continue to reach out to party members, activists and progressives across Canada.
She says she intends to visit B.C. and the Atlantic provinces in the next two weeks.
Ashton's rivals in the race include Quebec MP Guy Caron, Ontario legislature member Jagmeet Singh, Ontario MP Charlie Angus, former veterans ombudsman Pat Stogran and B.C. MP Peter Julian.
