Current Mid Island-Pacific Rim MLA Josie Osborne has announced she will be running for re-election this October.
Osborne announced on social media that she has officially become the BC NDP candidate for the riding. Osborne was first elected in the 2020 provincial election after serving more than seven years as mayor of Tofino.
She earned a cabinet position shortly after her election, first as the province's Minister of Municipal Affairs. She now serves as the Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation.
"I got into politics to help people — to help make life better, and to build bridges and connections between people so we can work together to tackle challenges big and small," Osborne said in her June 4 announcement. "Working for the people in my constituency is an incredible privilege, and as a small town mayor first and now as MLA, I absolutely love every part of what I do."
She said she has heard from many people across her constituency about the struggles they are facing, from housing to healthcare to inflation.
"I’m proud of the progress we’ve made — new homes for people, raising the minimum wage, providing ICBC and BC Hydro rebates, improvements in healthcare like expanded pharmacist roles, new nurse-practitioners and family physicians," she said. "But wow, there is a ton more work to do."
Osborne will be running against BC United candidate Joshua Dahling. Neither a Conservative nor a Green Party candidate has been announced yet.
The provincial election is scheduled to take place in October 2024.
