Abbotsford school trustee Preet Rai has been acclaimed as the BC NDP candidate in Abbotsford West for the upcoming election.
Rai is so far facing incumbent Liberal candidate Mike de Jong, who was first elected in a 1995 byelection. No other candidates have yet been announced for the riding.
Rai has lived in Abbotsford for more than two decades and has served on various boards, including the executive committee to raise funds for the Canuck Place Children’s Hospice in Abbotsford.
He was elected in 2018 to his fourth term on the Abbotsford board of education.
Rai ran as the NDP candidate for Abbotsford West in the 2017 provincial election, garnering 5,890 votes to Mike de Jong’s 10,910. He also ran for the NDP in the Abbotsford-Mission riding for the 2013 provincial election, when he lost to Simon Gibson.
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“There are so many pressing issues in Abbotsford West and our residents deserve a strong voice in government,” he said.
Rai said some of the top issues he is hearing from the residents of Abbotsford West include transportation, improved seniors care and accessible health care.
“The pandemic has created a lot of uncertainty and many British Columbians are worried about their future,” he said.
“But Andrew Wilkinson and the BC Liberals want to give tax cuts for the wealthy. This means less money for the services we rely on – like health care. Under a Horgan government, we will be investing to improve care for people.”
Rai lives in Abbotsford with his wife Rapinder and his three children, Amar, Jasleen and Inder.
Other local election candidates so far announced are Liberal Bruce Banman for Abbotsford South and, in Abbotsford-Mission, incumbent Simon Gibson for the Liberals and Mission Mayor Pam Alexis for the NDP.
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