Abbotsford South MLA Bruce Banman has announced he is seeking re-election.
Banman will run for the Conservatives in the riding in which Marcus Delves for BC United has also come forward.
Banman, who currently serves as the Conservative House Leader, has been representing the riding since his election as an MLA in 2020 with what was then the BC Liberals (now BC United).
He announced last September that he was leaving BC United to join the Conservatives, saying they are “the only party that stands for what’s right in the Legislature, rather than what’s politically convenient or politically correct.”
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Since then, Banman has been vocal about his opposition to the SOGI 123 resource in schools and the NDP’s promotion of the “safe” supply of hard drugs, as well as the need for health-care reform.
His profile on the Conservative website states that he is also a “champion of agriculture issues and affordable housing.”
At the time Banman ran for provincial politics, he was an Abbotsford city councillor, a role he had held since 2018. He stepped down from council in February 2021 to focus solely on being an MLA, triggering a by-election for his open seat, which was won by Dave Sidhu.
Prior to that, Banman was mayor of Abbotsford from 2011 to 2014.
Before entering politics, Banman was a chiropractor and owned a small business.
Other local candidates announced so far for the provincial election on Oct. 19 are: Karen Long with BC United in Langley-Abbotsford (a new electoral district); Reann Gasper (Conservatives) and current NDP MLA Pam Alexis in Abbotsford-Mission; and Korky Neufeld (Conservatives) in Abbotsford West (currently held by BC United’s Mike de Jong).
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