BC Liberals have officially opened nominations in 11 key ridings, which they say is the first step to putting forward candidates who will earn the trust of British Columbians and deliver victory in the next election.

Effective immediately, the party’s Election Readiness Committee will accept letters of intent from prospective candidates in the following electoral districts:

• Abbotsford South
• Courtenay-Comox
• Maple Ridge-Mission
• Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows
• Mid Island-Pacific Rim
• New Westminster
• North Vancouver-Lonsdale
• Oak Bay-Gordon Head
• Port Moody-Coquitlam
• Vancouver-Fairview
• Vancouver-Fraserview

“The next election could happen anytime – and today, we’re taking a major step to get strong candidates in place who can get started early on listening to voters, building their teams, and standing up for communities left behind by the NDP,” said BC Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson. “Whenever the election comes, we’ll be offering British Columbians a diverse team of experienced incumbents, new candidates with fresh perspectives, and local community leaders dedicated to delivering opportunity for all of BC.”

The party said this announcement builds on the February 2019 launch of the BC Liberals’ Ready to Run initiative, which opened the party’s doors to potential candidates from diverse backgrounds, seeking to increase representation of women, millennials, and other under-represented groups. The Party continues to welcome expressions of interest from all British Columbians who share the values of our broad free enterprise coalition.

Prospective candidates will complete a rigorous due diligence process prior to being approved to seek the nomination in their respective ridings.

The Election Readiness Committee will consult with local BC Liberal riding associations to determine the timing of candidate selection meetings, beginning in January 2020.

Key Facts:

• The opening of nominations in these key ridings means the BC Liberals will accept formal letters of intent from prospective candidates, and allow them to begin the party’s rigorous due diligence process.
• These 11 ridings were selected in consultation with grassroots BC Liberal riding associations, and will be followed by a second wave of ridings early in 2020.
• Candidate selection meeting dates for each riding will be determined in consultation with riding associations over the coming weeks and months.
• The nomination process in each riding includes the following steps:
  • Letters of intent from prospective candidates,
  • Due diligence process (questionnaire, criminal record and credit checks, social media history),
  • Approved nomination contestants have the opportunity to seek the support of local party members,
  • A candidate selection meeting is held to choose the party’s candidate for the election.