Canada faces one of the longest, most expensive election campaigns in the country's history.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper called the Oct. 19 election on Sunday, while two of the federal leaders were attending the Vancouver Pride parade.
A photo of Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau at the parade has gone viral. It shows a young woman leaping into Trudeau's arms in a full-on embrace. It immediately lit up Twitter and has been shared countless times.
It's also visual reminder of Trudeamania 2.0.
So, we compiled a few photos shared on social media of the party leaders' recent activities to see just how much love they're receiving on the campaign trail.
Trudeau is no stranger to the affections of Canadian women, so perhaps it's an unfair comparison. But Green Leader Elizabeth May seemed to be having just as much fun at the Pride parade, snapped on Twitter surrounded by "the Fun Police."
Meanwhile, casting the campaign in a serious light, Harper said: "Canadians will make a critical decision about the direction of our country, a decision with real consequences, a decision about who has the proven experience today to keep our economy strong and our country safe."
The PM's Twitter account shared a photo of Harper visiting trades apprentices, with appropriately serious expressions.
The NDP's Thomas Mulcair, leading in the most recent popularity polls, hasn't shared many images lately, other than himself speaking at various podiums. We had to dig back a few days to find one with any kind of interaction, an image of Mulcair grinning for the camera at a strawberry social in Thunder Bay.
In calling the election, Harper said it "is not a popularity contest." But, the Twitterverse would apparently beg to differ.
For the first time in recent memory, all three major parties have a legitimate shot at forming government. So, look for many more baby-kissing, hand-shaking, camera-mugging photo-ops over the next couple of months.