Vancouver-Langara MLA Michael Lee officially begins his second bid for the B.C. Liberal leadership Wednesday evening with an online launch on Facebook.
“Join us for my virtual launch as I enter the race for B.C. Liberal leader,” Lee said in an invitation to the live broadcast, set for 7 p.m. June 9.
Lee joins former cabinet minister Kevin Falcon, who announced in a similar online event on May 17, Skeena MLA Ellis Ross and Vancouver business consultant Gavin Dew. Lee first ran for the leadership in 2017, finishing a close third as Vancouver-Quilchena MLA Andrew Wilkinson overtook him in party member voting and ultimately narrowly defeated former Surrey mayor and MP Dianne Watts.
A party vote to determine who succeeds Wilkinson as the next B.C. Liberal leader is set for Feb. 5, 2022, using the same formula of 100 points for each of the province’s 87 constituencies as the 2017 vote. The party executive has set Dec. 29 as the cutoff date to join or renew a membership and vote in the leadership contest.
Prince George-Valemount MLA Shirley Bond was named interim leader after the October 2017 election saw John Horgan’s NDP gain a majority government, takings seats from the B.C. Liberals in Surrey, Langley, Chilliwack, Abbotsford, North Vancouver, Parksville-Qualicum, Boundary-Similkameen and Vernon-Monashee.
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