The provincial Liberal leadership race officially began  with seven candidates seeking to replace Premier Dalton McGuinty.

Harinder takhar was the last candidate to declare — doing so just hours before Friday`s deadline.

He joins Sandra Pupatello, Gerard Kennedy, Kathleen Wynne, Glenn Murray, Charles Sousa and Eric Hoskins in the highly-contested race

Ms. Pupatello, who is from Windsor, is the only candidate from outside the greater-Toronto area.

The leadership convention will be held in Ontario’s capital of Toronto on January 25 of 2013.