Kelowna councillor and Central Okanagan Regional District chairman Loyal Wooldridge is eyeing provincial politics — for the NDP.

(MARSHALL JONES / iNFOnews.ca)

Kelowna city councillor and Central Okanagan Regional District chairman Loyal Wooldridge is seeking the BC NDP nomination for Kelowna-Centre.

The two-term councillor said he will follow the City of Kelowna's code of conduct and seek a leave of absence from his municipal duties for the campaign if he is chosen to carry the flag for the governing New Democrats.

That Wooldridge is seeking higher office isn’t a surprise to anyone, but his choice of party may be. On council, he is known for a more conservative voting record — more police, more firefighters, more bylaw officers and support for businesses — which he attributes to his experience in business. He recently sold his hair salon to focus on politics.

He admits he was formerly a supporter of the BC Liberals — now called BC United — and considered seeking the nomination for them, but joined the NDP last September.

“Since I joined council six years ago, I've had the opportunity to work alongside the BC government advocating for Kelowna. And I've really seen how government has listened to our local voice as local leaders and collaborated with us as a municipality,” he told iNFOnews.ca. “And it's really opened up my mind to how we can deliver results for the people right here in Kelowna.”

READ MORE: An NDP win in Kelowna? 'More of a chance than we've had in years'

But why potentially give up two top government roles to run for a party that has never won a seat in voters’ lifetimes? He says a number of factors leading into the election could change that.

A right-wing split between the BC Conservatives and the BC United Party could open a lane to victory for the BC NDP. He also thinks Kelowna-Centre, being a mostly urban riding, might lend itself to a more progressive choice for MLA.

But the NDP has also never been close enough to being elected in the Okanagan to attract a candidate the calibre of a sitting local politician.

“It's been 84 years to be exact, so it's been a long time and I know it's going to be a lot of work but I'm hoping that my record of delivering results for people of Kelowna will shine (as well as) my passion for community,” he said. “I entered local government because of my passion for the big issues that we're facing like homelessness and housing, knowing full well that these aren't local government issues but I needed to learn them from the ground up.And so by bringing that experience, I believe that I'll be best fit to deliver results for the people of Kelowna Centre.”

If he wins the nomination, he’ll be on the ballot with realtor Kristina Loewen, representing the BC Conservatives and retired doctor Michael Humer, representing BC United.

The NDP is expected to formally announce candidates in May.

The BC Election will take place on or before Oct. 19.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Marshall Jones or call 250-718-2724 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. SUBSCRIBE to our awesome newsletter here.

News from © iNFOnews, 2024