
BC NDP Logo
The process to set the electoral table for the governing NDP has officially begun ahead of the BC election this fall.
The New Democrats have nominated two-term New Democrat MLA Jinny Sims to run again in Surrey-Panorama, as well as former Vancouver councillor Christine Boyle to run in Vancouver-Fairview.
Sims won her nomination by acclimation, while Boyle defeated another former Vancouver councillor, Andrea Reimer, for the nomination in Vancouver-Fairview — a seat being vacated by current Environment Minister George Heyman.
While the main opposition BC United and the BC Conservative Party have been announcing their candidates for the past number of weeks, the nomination of Sims and Boyle are the first for the provincial New Democrats.
Provincial party officials have told Radio NL the NDP plans to first roll out its nominations among the ridings that it currently holds around the province before moving on to contests among the non-incumbent ridings held either by BC United or the BC Green Party.
It’s unclear how long that process to secure candidates for the NDP in the 93 ridings in British Columbia may take to complete.
Thus far, the only candidate to publicly state their interest in running for the NDP in either of the Kamloops ridings is current Kamloops City Councillor Bill Sarai. He intends to contest the nomination in Kamloops-Centre, going up against current Kamloops-North Thompson BC United MLA Peter Milobar in the new riding.
The BC Conservatives have nominated Dennis Giesbrecht to run in Kamloops-Centre, while Todd Stone is set to be BC United’s candidate in the redrawn Kamloops-North Thompson riding.
Barriere Mayor Ward Stamer is the BC Conservative nominee for Kamloops-North Thompson.
The Green Part has yet to name its candidates for the two Kamloops ridings.
The next provincial election is set for Oct. 19.