Premier David Eby has called two byelections for next month.
On Saturday (May 27), Eby called the two byelections for the electoral districts of Vancouver-Mount Pleasant and Langford-Juan de Fuca. Final voting day for both will be June 24.
Vancouver-Mount Pleasant and Langford-Juan de Fuca became vacant when Melanie Mark and former premier John Horgan resigned as MLAs earlier this year. Mark was the first First Nations woman to serve in the B.C. legislature and as a cabinet minister.
READ MORE: Reactions of shock and shrugs as John Horgan joins board of steel company after resignation
READ MORE: B.C. cabinet minister Melanie Mark resigns and takes medical leave
READ MORE: Melanie Mark, first First Nations woman elected to B.C. legislature, leaving politics
Mark resigned as cabinet minister and went on medical leave in September 2022. Then in February, Mark said she would be stepping away from politics, citing her recent diagnosis of attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder
Horgan resigned on March 31, after first making the announcement in 2022 that he would not be running in the next provincial election.
For the Vancouver riding, the B.C. Green Party, BC United, BC NDP and the Conservative Party have all announced candidates.
Wendy Hayko was announced by the Greens late Friday (May 26), after winning the nomination. Hayko is an emergency management expert, with a focus on climate and emergency policies.
Jackie Lee is running as the BC United candidate. Announced May 18, Lee is a local businessman.
For the NDP, Joan Phillip has been announced as the candidate. Phillip is an Indigenous leader with a lifelong commitment to justice, human rights, and the environment.
The Conservative candidate Karin Litzcke was announced May 20. She’s a long-time Strathcona resident and education advocate.
For the Langford-Juan de Fuca riding, the Greens, United, NDP and Conservatives have announced their candidates.
Camille Currie was announced as the candidate back in April. She is the founder and President of Canada Pacific Health Care Matters Society and a Langford small business owner.
Autism advocate Elena Lawson is running for BC United. Announced as the candidate on May 10, she co-founded Children’s Autism Federation of BC.
Ravi Parmar, the NDP candidate, announced he would be running April 12. Parmar is a school board trustee.
Langford real estate agent and carpenter Mike Harris was nominated as the BC Conservative Party candidate on April 20.
For information about voting and registering to vote, call Elections BC toll-free at 1 800 661-8683 or visit elections.bc.ca.
– With files from Wolf Depner, The Canadian Press
