Could any federal ridings in Manitoba flip in the federal election?

WINNIPEG -

A day after Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau announced a federal election scheduled for Sept. 20, federal candidates across the country, including here in Manitoba, hit the campaign trail.

The incumbents are trying to hold on to their seats, while others are trying to grab a seat in Parliament. But could any of the seats actually flip in Manitoba?

Manitoba has 14 seats up for grabs, split between the Conservatives, Liberals and NDP. All of these seats were won less than two years ago.

One political pundit believes Manitoba should expect the same results as the last election.

"I think there's a reasonable chance that we'll go through this entire campaign, Canadians will get involved and do their duty and Manitoba's electoral map will look pretty much the same as it does now," said Mary Agnes Welch from Probe Research.

But if there is change to be had this election, she says people should keep an eye on the riding of Charleswood - St. James - Assiniboia - Headingley in Winnipeg.

"I think that's the one where we'll start to hear scuttlebutt and intel, that things are shifting there and that's for me, that's like the canary in the coal mine riding," she said.

In 2019, Marty Morantz won the seat for the Conservatives, defeating Liberal incumbent Doug Eyolfson.

"Even being on the doors most recently, it has just been a positive response. I'm very optimistic that we'll be able to hold on to this seat," said Morantz.

Meanwhile, Eyolfson is trying to stake his claim like he did in 2015 when he took the seat away from the Conservatives.

"There's a lot of support for what the Liberal government has been doing for Canadians and a lot of support among the people I interact with in this riding," said Eyolfson.

Currently, there is no NDP candidate listed for the riding on the party's website and the Green Party said a candidate is being finalized.

Some of the issues that could impact Manitoba's candidates include the potential fourth wave, mandatory vaccines, the economic recovery from the pandemic, the current drought and forest fires in Manitoba, and climate change.