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Reah Arora nominated as BC NDP candidate for Burnaby East

The 2024 Provincial General Election is scheduled for Oct. 19.
Jess Balzer
Jess Balzer
ReahArora_Council
Reah Arora has been named the BC NDP candidate for Burnaby East in the upcoming provincial election.Contributed

Reah Arora has been nominated as the BC NDP's candidate in Burnaby East for the upcoming provincial election. 

Arora, who grew up in Burnaby's Westridge neighbourhood, is currently the Director of Organizing at the BC Federation of Labour. 

In a news release, the party said Arora is a champion for workers and knows what Burnaby families will need in a government. 

Current Burnaby school board trustee Jen Mezei was also seeking the riding's nomination.

“Reah understands the need to meet people where they’re at and uplift their voices, ensuring everyone has a seat at the table,” Premier David Eby said. 

 “She will be a fantastic MLA for the people of Burnaby East.”

Arora received congratulations from current Burnaby-Lougheed MLA Katrina Chen, who announced in November of 2023 that she was not seeking re-election. 

In late 2022, Chen had asked Premier David Eby to not include her in his new cabinet.

She announced she was stepping away from a ministry role to unpack long-term trauma as a result of gender-based violence.

"Congratulations @ReahArora! You'll make an amazing MLA, and we are lucky to have you as our candidate for #BurnabyEast," Chen wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. 

"I know you will always follow your heart and stay principled on issues that matter to our community. Thank you @jenmezei for also putting your name forward." 

The provincial election won't be Arora's first try at politics. 

She ran in the Burnaby municipal election in 2022, vying for a seat on city council as part of the Burnaby Citizens Association.

Arora came up just short, finishing with 10,513 votes, only 380 behind City Coun. Daniel Tetrault. 

“Growing up in Burnaby, I’ve seen the effect that reckless cuts have on people and families. John Rustad and Kevin Falcon made deep cuts to healthcare and education, and they’d do it again," she added in the BC NDP news release. 

“The BC NDP is taking action to make life better — whether that’s reducing the cost of car insurance or childcare, or building the affordable homes that people in Burnaby desperately need. I’m proud to be running with this team.”

Voters will head to the polls on Oct. 19.