Sheila Malcolmson acclaimed as NDP candidate, setting race for key Nanaimo byelection

All three provincial parties have selected candidates with name recognition for a key byelection in Nanaimo that has the potential to shake up the balance of power in the B.C. legislature.

At an NDP nomination meeting onSunday, MP Sheila Malcolmsonwas acclaimed as the party's candidate to maintain the seat left vacant when NDP MLA Leonard Krog resigned to becomemayor of Nanaimo.

Malcolmson, who mustresign as the NDP MP for Nanaimo-Ladysmithto run in the byelection,is hopeful she can make thejump from federal to provincial politics.

"We've made a lot of progress having the B.C. NDP in power. We have a lot of optimism in our community," she said.

The Nanaimo riding has long been an NDP stronghold. But byelections are traditionallymore difficult to call.

High stakes

If the NDPloses the seat to the Liberals,both the NDP-Green partnership and the Liberals will be even at 43 seats a scenario widely expected to be unstable andlead to an early general election.

"The stakes are so high. We know the Liberals will throw everything they have got at winning," Malcolmson said.

"We know that they are going to use this byelection to try to overthrow the government and cause a general election. So we are going to work harder than everto win the support of Nanaimo voters."

The Liberals moved quickly to nominate well-known Nanaimo businessman Tony Harris as the party's candidate in early November.

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While the seat is garnering significant attention for political reasons, Harris said his campaign willfocuson the issuesthe city is struggling with, such as homelessness, poverty and healthcare.

"It's a campaign about Nanaimo and I think the lensis focused on our community unlike any time in history and that is really important because our community has been overlooked for a long time," he said.

'Extra set of elbows'

The B.C. Greens selected teacher Michele Neyas their candidate in a 24-hour voting process that ended on Saturday.

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Ney'sfatherwas mayor of Nanaimo for more than two decadesand an MLA for four years.

"This feels like a soap opera to tell you the truth because you have two well-known people that I am running up against and of course my name is a relatively well-known nameas well," she said.

Although the result of the race could have implications for the Green-NDP balance of power,Neysaid she's not concerned aboutpotentially splitting the vote.

Instead, she said she is focused on bringing another voice to the legislature that will push for policiesthat protect the environment and fight climate change.

"We cannot continue to keep going in the direction we are going. We need to turn this ship around now and this will provide the Greens an extra set of elbows in the legislature," she said.

No date has been set for the byelection.

However, Premier John Horganhas said he would like to see the seat filled before the next provincial budget in February, so the candidates are preparing for thecampaign to begin in January.