Omar Alghabra
Liberal
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Omar Alghabra was elected as the MP for Mississauga-Erindale in 2006 and later was named the Critic for Citizenship and Immigration.
The 39-year-old Syrian Canadian is also a member of the Diversity Council for General Electric Canada and is active in Junior Achievement for the Toronto Region.
But before entering politics, Alghabra, who is an engineer and entrepreneur, was the the Natioal President of the Canadian Arab Federation from 2004-2005 and was a former member of Community Editorial Board for The Toronto Star from 2003-2004.
Like many residents of Mississauga, Alghabra immigrated here at a young age from Saudi Arabia. He has a degree in Mechanical Engineering at Ryerson University and a Master's degree in Business Administration from York University.
Bob Dechert
Conservative
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Living in Mississauga with his wife, Ruth Clark, Bob Dechert is a senior partner in Canada's second largest law firm, Gowling Lafleur Henderson.
Dechert, 40, was also the President of the Empire Club of Canada and President of the British-Canadian Chamber of Commerce, an undertaking that allowed him to meet with various Canadian and international leaders.
Since 1972, Dechert has played an active role in the Conservative party. He has worked in both the federal and provincial election riding campaigns.
Dechert has a degree in economics from McMaster University and a law degree from the University of Toronto.
Mustafa Rizvi
NDP
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This 28-year-old Mississauga resident is an accident benefit adjuster who has been actively involved in federal politics for eight years, volunteering for different Members of Parliament and canvassing for the federal election.
Rizvi, who is single, officially joined the NDP party six months ago.
Aside from politics, Rizvi has volunteered his time to the Canadian Cancer Society, Erin Oak and Sheridan Villa Senior Citizen Centre. He was also an active member of the Model United Nations, leading a group of participants in an academic simulation of the United Nations.
Rizvi moved to Mississauga from Bisha, Pakistan in 1994 and has earned a degree in Political Science and International Relations from York University.
Richard Pietro
Green Party
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Having lived in the riding since he was 13, Pietro, now 31 and single, works as a Communication and Events Coordinator for a Canadian company.
He went to school at John Fraser Secondary School and coached Erindale Soccer Club teams for several years.
Before his involvement in politics, Peitro worked in the disability management field before eventually moving into marketing.
He studied human kinetics in Laurentian University.
Dagmar Sullivan
Marxist-Leninist
Dagmar Sullivan, 58, is a long-time Mississauga resident and member of the Marxist-Leninist Party of Canada who has run in several federal elections, including the 2004 and 2006 contest.
She became politically active in 1969 after leaving her native United States in protest of the war in Vietnam. She opposed the draft.
Sullivan joined the Marxist-Leninists after former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau invoked the War Measures Act in Canada as a result of the FLQ crisis in 1970.
Sullivan is a long-time worker in the manufacturing sector.
She is married to Tim Sullivan, who is a member of the Marxist-Leninist Party and is running in the Mississauga Brampton-South riding.
