The race for Calgary Centre ramps up Tuesday with two federal party leaders making stops in the city in advance of the November 26th by-election.

NDP Leader Tom Mulcair and Interim Liberal leader Bob Rae are stumping for votes for their candidates, Dan Meades for the New Democrats and Harvey Locke for the Grits.

University of Calgary political scientist Lori Williams tells 660News, the federal leaders are here simply because have more time to spend fighting a by-election. But she adds, it’s going to be an uphill battle for the two parties, and Elizabeth May’s Greens, to knock out Conservative candidate Joan Crockett.

“A long shot of to say the least,” says Williams of the contenders.  “We haven’t had anybody but a Conservative in Calgary since 1968.  So I think a lot of people are just looking, and curious to see if anything’s going to happen, and I’m certainly among them.”

Williams adds voters are willing to vote differently in by-elections compared to general elections, but says all of the progressive vote would have to coalesce around one candidate and that’s highly unlikely.

The election call was made by Prime Minister Harper following the resignation of Lee Richardson who has joined the political team of Alberta Premier Alison Redford.