As we head towards the 2024 provincial election, declarations of candidates by B.C. political parties have picked up in recent weeks.
Candidate nominations officially close on Sept. 28 at 1 p.m.
The Record will publish declared candidates for the BC Conservatives on Friday, July 26. BC United's declared candidates were published on July 24.
The BC NDP has declared candidates in all three New Westminster ridings, as of this publication, July 25, for the 2024 election.
Should candidates change, we will update this story.
Burnaby-New Westminster
Raj Chouhan was first elected as Burnaby-Edmonds MLA in 2005 and is seeking a fifth consecutive term, earning re-election in 2009, 2013, 2017 and 2020.
He was also elected Speaker of the Legislative Assembly on Dec. 7, 2020.
"As a labour leader, as a legislator, and as the first South Asian Speaker of the House in the BC legislature, Raj has been working for people for his entire life," B.C. Premier David Eby said in a recent news release.
"He knows that people need a government that will take action for them, not for powerful interests."
It's with great pleasure that we welcome Raj Chouhan as our BC NDP candidate in Burnaby-New Westminster. Elected five times as MLA, @rajchouhan is the 1st South Asian person to serve as BC's Speaker of the House. He knows that regular people need a government that works for them. pic.twitter.com/qjSYCgPSpn
— BC NDP (@bcndp) June 23, 2024
New Westminster-Coquitlam
Born and raised in New West, Jennifer Whiteside is seeking her second term after winning her first election in 2020 with 15,903 votes and earning 60.25 per cent of the vote.
Green candidate Cyrus Sy finished behind Whiteside but finished with only 5,020 votes.
Whiteside was given the education and child care portfolio by former Premier John Horgan in November of 2020 before transitioning to the Minister of Mental Health and Addicitions in Dec. 2022 by current Premier David Eby.
“Jennifer is an outstanding and effective champion for the people of New Westminster and Coquitlam," Eby said in the candidacy announcement for Whiteside.
“She’s in it to make life better for everyone in her community and will work everyday to deliver affordable housing and high quality education, healthcare, and services for you.”
We're thrilled to announce Jennifer Whiteside as our BC NDP candidate in New Westminster-Coquitlam. Born and raised in New West, Jennifer (@JM_Whiteside) is a former labour leader and the current Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. Please join us in welcoming her! pic.twitter.com/REMryf9peh
— BC NDP (@bcndp) May 23, 2024
Richmond-Queensborough
Aman Singh is seeking his second term in the legislature after being elected during the 2020 election.
Singh also ran in 2017 but narrowly lost to Liberal Jas Johal.
Johal finished with 8,218 votes and 41.43 per cent of the overall vote. Singh lost by less than 200 votes, finishing with 8.084 and 40.75 per cent of the overall vote.
In 2020, Singh beat out Johal with 9,406 votes and Johal finished with 7,728.
Singh also made history in 2020 as the first turban-wearing Sikh to be elected to the legislature.
“Aman has dedicated his life to being a champion for the issues that matter most to people,” Premier David Eby said in Singh's candidacy press release.
“From getting more housing built to lowering costs for families, I know he will be tireless in working to take real action for families in Richmond-Queensborough.”
It's a pleasure to announce Aman Singh as our BC NDP candidate in Richmond-Queensborough. Aman made history in 2020 as the first turban-wearing Sikh elected to the BC legislature and is a champion for social justice and making life more affordable. Welcome @amansinghndp! pic.twitter.com/ZMkWzbsDYj
— BC NDP (@bcndp) May 31, 2024
