Surrey-Cloverdale has been a sturdy fort of a riding for the Liberals since it was created in 1991.
Liberal MLAs Ken Jones held it from 1991 to 1996, Bonnie McKinnon from 1996 to 2001, and Kevin Falcon from 2001 to 2013.
Stephanie Cadieux was the most recent Liberal MLA to hold office in this riding, since 2013, but she is running for election this time around in Surrey South. Cadieux had won the last provincial election in Surrey-Cloverdale with 60.05 per cent of the popular vote, defeating runner-up NDP candidate Harry Kooner by 8,272 votes.
Liberal candidate Marvin Hunt, who served as Liberal MLA in Surrey-Panorama up until the Legislative Assembly was dissolved on April 11, is hoping to continue his party’s dynasty in Surrey-Cloverdale on election day May 9.
Before venturing into provincial politics, Hunt served on Surrey council from 1988 to 2013.
Also running is Rebecca Smith for the NDP, Green candidate Aleksandra Muniak and Libertarian candidate Peter Poelstra.
Smith is executive director of the Surrey Hospice Society and was also executive directors of the BC Psychological Association. Muniak owns a small business and is a long-time Cloverdale resident. Poelstra is a university student and grew up in Cloverdale.
A lot has changed for the Surrey-Cloverdale riding since the last provincial election in 2013.
Geographically, the riding has been halved and moved northwards. The new riding includes parts of what formerly belonged to the Surrey-Fleetwood and Surrey-Tynehead ridings to the north.
Surrey-Cloverdale, according to most recent available figures, has a population of 59,649 and now covers 55 square kilometres. The average age of its residents is 37.3 years old and for 28.96 per cent of its residents English is their second language.
Tom Zytaruk / Surrey Now-Leader
