NDP members in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows will choose their candidate for the October federal election on May 3, near the border of the two cities.
Members will vote for either Jack Emberly and Bob D’Eith after each of the candidates speaks at Hammond Community Centre, 20601 Westfield Ave., at 1 p.m.
“They’re both very different candidates,” said riding president Janet Amsden.
Emberly is a retired educator and environmentalist, while D’Eith is an entertainment lawyer who is also the executive-director of Music B.C.
Amsden said it’s never been a three-way race between Liberals, Conservatives and NDP in the riding.
In the 2011 election, Conservative Randy Kamp took 28,803 ballots, versus NDP Craig Speirs’ 18,835. The Liberals earned only 2,739 votes.
The Liberals also had a dismal result in the 2008 election, finishing behind the Green party.
Kamp has held the riding since 2004, but isn’t seek re-election.
“Part of our objective is to remind people if they don’t want the Conservatives to win, they should vote NDP,” Amsden said.
Asked if she thought the NDP could win the new Pitt Meadows-Maple Ridge riding, she added, “That’s all we can think.”
Maple Ridge-Mission MLA Marc Dalton and Kamp’s executive-assistant Mike Murray are competing for the Conservative nomination.
About 240 members are eligible to vote at the NDP meeting.