Sooke Mayor Maja Tait is set to be acclaimed as the federal NDP candidate for the Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke riding.
Riding president Grant McLachlan confirmed the news in an email to the Sooke News Mirror on Aug. 13.
Tait said she is grateful for the acclamation.
“It’s been a very busy summer in our region and it would have been a challenge to find the time to campaign for the nomination,” she said. “I will continue to serve my community and will likely take a leave of absence without pay when the writ drops for the election.”
Tait was first elected to Sooke council in 2008. She served two terms as a councillor before being elected mayor in 2014, and was re-elected in 2018 and 2022.
RELATED: NDP MP Randall Garrison announces he won’t seek re-election
The next federal election is currently scheduled for Oct. 20, 2025.
Incumbent MP Randall Garrison, who was first elected in 2011, announced that he was retiring in April of this year.
The official acclamation is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 31 at 6:30 p.m. at the Victoria Scottish Community Centre in Esquimalt. Garrison and federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh are expected to attend, along with other regional politicians.