A Tri-City MP, MLA and five city councillors are throwing their support behind an NDP candidate running for nomination this Sunday.
On Tuesday, Chris Wilson got endorsements from New Westminster-Coquitlam NDP MP Fin Donnelly and Port Coquitlam NDP MLA Mike Farnworth. Coquitlam councillors Neal Nicholson and Selina Robinson, PoCo councillors Glenn Pollock and Brad West, and Port Moody Coun. Bob Elliott have also put their names forward as Wilson backers.
Wilson is being challenged in the hotly contested riding of Coquitlam-Burke Mountain by former punk rocker Joe Keithley, former Coquitlam city councillor Barrie Lynch and Vincent Wu, who has previously run for a municipal seat.
The nomination meeting will be held at Nestor elementary school in Coquitlam on March 3, with voting starting at 1:30 p.m.
"We feel that with the community work he has done, Chris will be the best representative for us," West told The Tri-City News.
Asked about Wilson's past affiliation with the BC Liberals, West responded, "I'm always of the view that there are people who share our values who may not have started out as NDP."
Wilson has worked on past NDP campaigns including Donnelly and Farnworth's, West said.
Wilson was not available by press time; however, in a news release, he stated: "Mike, Fin and their colleagues at the municipal level demonstrate what strong NDP leadership looks like for communities. That's the type of representation I'm looking to provide for the constituents of Coquitlam-Burke Mountain."
Meanwhile, Farnworth will be acclaimed by his PoCo riding association next month. The official nod will take place on March 23 at 1 p.m. at The Gathering Place at Leigh Square Community Arts Village, West said.
Other acclaimed Tri-City candidates for the May 14 provincial election are Coun. Robinson (NDP, Coquitlam-Maillardville); Ed Stanbrough (Green, Coquitlam-Maillardville); MLA Joe Trasolini (NDP, Port Moody-Coquitlam); Coquitlam Coun. Linda Reimer (BC Liberal, Port Moody-Coquitlam); and MLA Doug Horne (BC Liberal, Coquitlam-Burke Mountain).
