Langley NDP MLA Andrew Mercier will be running again in the next provincial election.
He was formally nominated as the party's candidate for the new Langley-Willowbrook riding on Sunday night, June 9, by acclamation.
"it's been the honour and the privilege of my life to represent folks [in Langley], and I'd like to continue doing so," Mercier told the Langley Advance Times.
Mercier, the current Minister of State for Workforce Development, won the Langley seat in 2020 with just over 47 per cent of the vote, defeating high-profile incumbent Liberal MLA Mary Polak, a four-time winner who finished second with 34 per cent. Bill Masse of the Green party was second and Conservative Shelley Jan was fourth.
As of Monday, neither the official opposition B.C. United, or Conservative, or Green parties had announced candidates to contest Langley-Willowbrook in the pending provincial election.
Under a 2021 electoral redistribution that increased the number of ridings from two to three, Langley-Willowbrook was created out of the Langley riding. It includes Langley City, the rapidly growing Willowbrook area in Langley Township, as well as a portion of South Langley.
Following his nomination meeting, Mercier sounded confident.
"In four years, we've delivered a lot for Langley," Mercier commented.
"We're bringing the SkyTrain to Langley. We just announced a new school expansion of 200 seats at Nicomekl School, and we're building on childcare in Langley City."
According to the latest poll results released by the Angus Reid firm at the end of May, the B.C. NDP were holding an 11-point advantage provincially, ahead of an expected September campaign and October election.
Reid reported the New Democrats were leading in vote intention at 41 per cent, representing an 11-point advantage over the Conservative Party of B.C. at 30 per cent. Opposition BC United were third, supported by 16 per cent of would-be voters, a 50 per cent drop from the party’s 2020 election popular vote, when it was defeated by the NDP in a snap election called by then-premier John Horgan.
