Ravi Parmar running for NDP in Langford-Juan de Fuca byelection

Ravi Parmar has announced he’s running for the NDP to fill former-Premier John Horgan’s vacant seat.

Parmar has served on SD62’s board since 2014 and was re-elected in 2018 and 2022. He has served as chair since 2017. Parmar also works as the chief of staff in Minister Brenda Bailey’s (Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation) office. Parmar has worked for a number of ministers within the provincial government, as well as formerly working as a constituency assistant for Horgan.

During a speech at an announcement event on Wednesday (April 12), Parmar emphasized building housing, hiring more doctors, expanding infrastructure and supporting the economy as priorities for him and the provincial government heading into the election, pointing specifically to projects like the new post-secondary campus under construction in Langford and the recently announced integrated health care center in Sooke.

@GoldstreamNews #yyj https://t.co/UEBZZWzR3O pic.twitter.com/9OfOgrARmQ

— bailey (@moreton_bailey) April 12, 2023

“This byelection will be hard fought,” Parmar said. “There will be people who will try to take us backwards, back to a time where governments worked for the wealthy and well-connected. It doesn’t matter if I could call them BC Liberals or BC United, doesn’t matter what you call them. We in Langford-Juan de Fuca won’t let that happen.”

Parmar said that during the nomination period and campaigning for the byelection he’ll take a leave of absence from his position as SD62’s board chair, and will revisit the decision if he wins. In his place, trustee Amanda Dowhy will be taking over as chair. SD62 said in a statement Parmar will still sit as a trustee and attend meetings during the process.

“After this event, I plan on going home and hitting the phones and phone as many people on that list as I can to talk to them about my values and how I feel that I would be the best choice to be the next NDP candidate for Langford-Juan de Fuca. If I’m successful in securing that nomination, I plan on buying a new pair of running shoes and hitting the doorsteps and knocking on as many doors as I can.”

Horgan stepped down as MLA for Langford-Juan de Fuca on March 31 after a long career in politics, including more than five years as B.C.’s premier.

Horgan represented the riding in its various iterations from 2005 until last month, having won almost 68 per cent of the vote in 2020. The riding has predominantly leaned NDP over the years.

READ MORE: By-election: BC Greens nominate health care advocate in John Horgan’s former riding

Parmar was second to announce his candidacy for the upcoming byelection. Camille Currie, founder and organizer of BC Health Care Matters, announced she’d be running for the BC Green Party on April 6.

A date for the byelection has not yet been set.

ALSO READ: Progress underway to upgrade one of B.C.’s ‘most seismically unsafe’ schools in Port Renfrew