New Westminster’s school board chair has officially joined the race for re-election.
Gurveen Dhaliwal announced Sunday that she’ll be seeking the nomination with Community First, the new NDP-affiliated civic party that launched in April.
Dhaliwal made the announcement in a video shared on Twitter May 15.
“Over the last three-and-a-half years we’ve accomplished so much, from building new schools to increasing child-care spaces to really transforming the student experience through investments in the teaching and learning environment,” she said in the video.
Dhaliwal served as vice-chair for a year before taking the chair’s spot, which she has now held for two years.
Dhaliwal was first elected in 2018 as part of Team Cote, the New Westminster and District Labour Council-endorsed slate headed by Mayor Jonathan Cote.
Dhaliwal was part of a team of organizers, including Cote, who first created the new municipal party Together New West in December 2021.
After controversy over the party’s name — which came into conflict with the Downtown New West Business Improvement Association because of an existing campaign by the same moniker — the group rebranded as Forward New West.
Dhaliwal had been listed as the group’s principal official on Elections B.C.’s register of elector organizations, with current city councillor Patrick Johnstone as financial agent.
Forward New West has now been deregistered, according to Elections B.C.
Johnstone has announced he’ll be seeking the nomination for mayor, also with Community First.
Community First is holding a nomination meeting May 18, where members will vote by secret ballot to choose candidates for the Oct. 15 election.
Follow Julie MacLellan on Twitter @juliemaclellan.
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