A former GTA Liberal MP who resigned from the House of Commons due to health issues has announced he will be running in his former riding for a seat on Toronto's city council.Shaun Chen announced his resignation from federal politics on August 15, citing "significant health issues" he sustained in a serious car accident while driving to Ottawa last year.Chen attributed his resignation to the fact that the accident and subsequent injuries it caused did not allow him to travel to Ottawa as much as his role as an MP requires.Chen faced criticism for his announcement, as it was later found that he had travelled to China in March while the Commons was on break, leading many to point out the hypocrisy in resigning due to travel concerns between Toronto and Ottawa but also being healthy enough to travel to China.A source close to Chen is reported to have told CTV that Chen thought the change of scenery would help him deal with his health issues..Chen confirmed to CTV News on Wednesday that he intended to run as a candidate in the ward of Scarborough North, a region that he has represented as an MP since 2015.In this ward Chen will be running against former Liberal colleague Han Dong, as well as current incumbent and chair of the Toronto Transit Commission, Jamaal Myers, in a municipal race that has more than its fair share of political experience.Before becoming an MP, Chen was a trustee of the Toronto District School Board from 2006 until 2015 and also served as chair from 2014 to 2015.The Toronto municipal election is set to take place on October 26.
