Stphane Moraille, Bran Van 3000 singer, seeks Montreal NDP nod

Lawyer and singer Stphane Moraille of the group Bran Van 3000 will try to win the federal NDP nomination in the Montreal riding of Bourassa.

Moraille will make her candidacy official during a news conference set for Tuesday morning in Montreal North.

A byelection is expected to be called in the coming weeks in the riding to replace Liberal MP Denis Coderre, who is a candidate for mayor of Montreal.

Moraille, a native of Haiti, is a lawyer in arts and communications and has been with the law firm of Lussier & Khouzan since 2006.

With Bran Van 3000, Moraille sang lead on the band's biggest hit, "Drinking in LA" and won several awards, including a Juno for "Glee" in 1998.

NDP Leader Tom Mulcair said he was honoured to have a candidate such asMoraille running in what has been a Liberal stronghold riding, calling Moraille a strong female candidate with a high profile in the arts community.

"We are very privileged to have such candidates and it strengthens us in our conviction that we have strong support from the public," Mulcair told reporters in Montreal Tuesday.

Another high-profile candidate will run in a byelection in the Bourassa riding formerNHL enforcer George Laraquefor the Green party.

Bourassa a diverse north-end riding with various ethnic groups and home to a large Haitian population has been held by Coderre for the past 16 years.

Former Quebec MNA Emmanuel Dubourg announced his resignation from the Quebec legislature earlier this monthto seek the Liberal nomination.