Two-term District of North Vancouver (DNV) Councillor Jim Hanson is running to be the federal NDP candidate in Burnaby North-Seymour.
Hanson is well known in his community. He is the first declared New Democrat to have ever been elected Councillor in North Vancouver District, where he gained the second-most votes of any candidate in the 2018 civic election. He has deep roots in both Burnaby and Seymour and a long history of NDP activism, and clearly enjoys cross-party support in Seymour.
Federal New Democratic Party candidates have struggled to win the riding in a general election despite strong party support in Burnaby. Political pundits consider Seymour the hardest part of the riding for New Democrats to win.
The date of the nomination vote of NDP members has not been finalized but is anticipated in early May, 2021.
“I believe 2021 will be the year that New Democrats win Burnaby North-Seymour,” says Hanson.
“As a Councillor and a lawyer, I have spoken out for people to fight for equality and against injustice. I want to represent the people of this riding in Ottawa to ensure our issues are represented.”
Svend Robinson, the 2019 NDP candidate in Burnaby North-Seymour and Member of Parliament for Burnaby, from 1979 to 2004, has expressed confidence in Hanson.
“Jim and I share a deep commitment to NDP democratic socialist values and principles, and to the top priority of tackling the climate emergency, growing inequality and systemic racism,” says Robinson. “Jim played a key role in our 2019 campaign in which we came so close to defeating the Liberal incumbent. To win in Burnaby North-Seymour we need to close the gap in Seymour and hold our vote in Burnaby: Jim’s outstanding reputation makes him the candidate to do that.”
