Kitchener Centre MPP Laura Mae Lindo resigning

KITCHENER — Kitchener Centre MPP Laura Mae Lindo is resigning.

Lindo tweeted Wednesday afternoon that she will vacate her seat as of July to take a role in University of Waterloo’s philosophy department.

The NDP member was elected as MPP for Kitchener Centre in 2018 and was re-elected last June.

“I have not taken this decision lightly,” Lindo wrote. “Systemic factors” and a need to be more present with her family after a challenging 2022 led to her decision, she said.

Lindo has a master’s degree and a PhD in education. She is currently the provincial New Democrats’ critic for anti-racism and equity, and colleges and universities.

Lindo also served as the inaugural chair of the NDP’s Black Caucus after it was formed in April 2019.

Across her career, Lindo said she is most proud of her ability to incorporate an equity lens into her work at Queen’s Park, showing her colleagues what it means to use an anti-oppression and anti-racist starting point.

In a news release, interim Ontario NDP Leader Peter Tabuns thanked Lindo for her years of service and her work as the chair of the Black caucus.

“Laura Mae has been an integral member of our NDP team, and a tireless advocate for people in her riding of Kitchener Centre, and across the province,” read a written statement.

Cheyenne Bholla is a Waterloo Region-based reporter at The Record. Reach her via email: cbholla@therecord.com