Starting a political group from scratch is no piece of cake, but the B.C. Conservatives in Pitt Meadows-Maple Ridge are underway and hope to have a candidate to run as a spoiler between the NDP and Liberals in next year’s election.
“We’re starting from the beginning and it’s not been an easy task,” said organizer Wendy Cook, who has campaigned federally for Conservative MP Randy Kamp.
“It’s the grass roots starting out.”
A few spots on the executive have been filled, but the goal of the first annual general meeting on March 31 in South Bonson Community Centre (10:30 a.m. to noon) is to choose a board of directors and plan campaign strategy.
So far, about 30 members have signed up.
Cook said she’d like to see a high-profile B.C. Conservative candidate run in Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows in next spring’s election. A Conservative candidate could siphon away votes from the Liberals and make it easier for the NDP to hold on to the riding after MLA Michael Sather steps down.
Each of those parties has at least one candidate seeking the nomination. Terry Becker wants to run for the Liberals, while Elizabeth Rosenau and Korleen Carreras will face off later for the right to represent the NDP. Nomination meetings haven’t been set yet.
Cook said the B.C. Conservatives, led by John Cummins, hope to have candidates in all 85 B.C. ridings next election and wants to get more people on board.
“It’s a lot of work so we need all the help we can get.”
There is no Conservative association in the Maple Ridge-Mission riding.