Aaron Sumexheltza announces run for BC NDP President

Former Chief of the Lower Nicola Indian Band Aaron Sumexheltza has announced his candidacy for the role of President of the BC NDP.

Sumexheltza was also the NDP’s candidate for MLA in Fraser-Nicola in the last election, losing to Liberal Incumbent Jackie Tegart.

The President announcement came via twitter on Tuesday morning.

Twitter thread;

Friends, today I’m announcing I’m running for President of the @bcndp. Thank you to everyone who has been encouraging me to run. I’ve been truly humbled by the support I’ve received these past few weeks.

In the past four years, we’ve seen firsthand what it means to have a gov’t that’s committed to making life better for the people of BC. I’m proud of the work this gov’t has done and I want to see it continue to do more for years to come.

We cannot forget the problems caused by 16 years of bad choices by the BC Liberals and what that meant for working people in this province. Problems that our government is now working hard to fix. This is incredibly important work.

While the gov’t fixes years of BC Liberal mismanagement, our Party has it’s own work to do. We know that preparing for the next election must always be a top priority and I’m proud to say our activists are some of the best campaigners in the country.

But fighting elxns is just one piece of the puzzle. New Democrats care deeply about this province and those who live here. We want to debate ideas and find solutions to the issues of our day. We want to strengthen democracy within our Party to ensure all voices are heard.

By renewing our focus on democratic participation and grassroots engagement, we can continue to build a better, more inclusive Party. A Party with bold ideas that runs cutting-edge campaigns that will win seats in every region of this province.

I’m starting my campaign for BCNDP President today and I will be reaching out to activists across the province to hear their ideas about how we can move our Party forward. I want to hear what you have to say – your ideas, and your priorities.

I want to end by thanking everyone who has contributed so much to our Party over the years. I truly believe our members and activists are at the heart of this organization and I’m excited to have the opportunity to connect with you in the coming weeks and months.

Q101 has reached out to Sumexheltza for an interview.

More to come