Two Burnaby MLAs have officially secured their party's nomination for the October provincial election.
Raj Chouhan will run in the renamed Burnaby-New Westminster riding, while Janet Routledge will once again run in Burnaby North — both for the BC NDP.
Chouhan was first elected as Burnaby-Edmonds MLA in 2005 and is seeking a fifth consecutive term, earning re-election in 2009, 2013, 2017 and 2020.
He was also elected Speaker of the Legislative Assembly on Dec. 7, 2020.
It's with great pleasure that we welcome Raj Chouhan as our BC NDP candidate in Burnaby-New Westminster. Elected five times as MLA, @rajchouhan is the 1st South Asian person to serve as BC's Speaker of the House. He knows that regular people need a government that works for them. pic.twitter.com/qjSYCgPSpn
— BC NDP (@bcndp) June 23, 2024
"As a labour leader, as a legislator, and as the first South Asian Speaker of the House in the BC legislature, Raj has been working for people for his entire life," B.C. Premier David Eby said in a news release.
"He knows that people need a government that will take action for them, not for powerful interests."
Routledge first won the Burnaby North seat in 2017. She's currently the parliamentary secretary for labour.
Re-elected in 2020, Routledge won by more than 6,000 votes, beating out Liberal candidate Raymond Dong 12,894 votes to 6,846.
We’re delighted to have Janet Routledge as our BC NDP candidate in Burnaby North. Elected in 2017 and in 2020, Janet Routledge has spent her career helping regular people access quality healthcare, assert their rights, and build good lives in BC. Welcome, @routledge_janet! pic.twitter.com/PVFZf9Aeyj
— BC NDP (@bcndp) June 25, 2024
She confirmed to the NOW in January that she had intended to seek re-election.
“Janet has been on the side of working people for her entire career — both before public office, and as an MLA,” Eby added of Routledge.
“The people of Burnaby North can count on her to fight for them, their families, and the issues they care about.”
British Columbians will head to the polls on Oct. 19.
