Selina Robinson will go up against BC Liberal Steve Kim again for the provincial seat of Coquitlam-Maillardville.
Yesterday (Sunday), the NDP MLA was acclaimed as the party's candidate, at the Coquitlam branch of the Royal Canadian Legion.
The former Coquitlam city councillor beat Kim in 2013 by 41 votes following a judicial recount, spending $107,325 to win the race versus Kim's $80,581 (by comparison, the BC Green Party contender Edward Stanbrough spent $750 and took 8% of the vote).
Previously, the swing riding was held by the NDP's Diane Thorne and John Cashore; from 2001 to '05, it was steered by BC Liberal Richard Stewart, the city's current mayor.
In a news release Sunday, Robinson noted her platforms will focus on affordable living, seniors, education and healthcare.
"People say it is getting harder and harder to live here," the Ranch Park neighbourhood resident said. "Our costs are going up and up and our healthcare and schools are being cut and cut. The state of seniors’ care is heartbreaking. From everything we’ve seen in the past 15 years, Christy Clark hasn’t been working for you."
BC NDP Leader John Horgan stated Robinson "has been an outspoken advocate for her constituency and a fantastic champion for seniors. She works tirelessly to make sure the voices of the community are heard in Victoria. You couldn’t ask for a tougher fighter."
Meanwhile, the constituency associations for Tri-City NDP MLAs Jodie Wickens (Coquitlam-Burke Mountain) and Mike Farnworth (Port Coquitlam) will hold their nomination meetings early next year. If selected, Wickens will face BC Liberal Joan Isaacs; the BC Liberals have yet to pick a candidate to challenge Farnworth.
In the riding of Port Moody-Coquitlam, NDP candidate and Port Moody city councillor Rick Glumac is against incumbent BC Liberal MLA Linda Reimer for the May contest.
