Five candidates have thrown their hats in the ring to take over the federal Kootenay–Columbia riding from outgoing MP Jim Abbott.
NDP candidate Mark Shmigelsky was nominated a few weeks ago. He was the mayor of Invermere from 1999-2008, and a councillor for six years before that.
David Wilks is the Conservative Party candidate replacing Abbott, who decided not to run again after serving since 1993. The Sparwood mayor defeated three other candidates for the nomination, including Creston town councillor Wes Graham.
Meanwhile, Betty Aitchison of Kimberley, a long-time member of the local Liberals, will representing the party for a second time. In the 2008 election she finished last with only 7.8 per cent of the vote.
William Green is running for the Green Party and Brent Bush, a past candidate for the NDP, is running as an independent.
The Kootenay-Columbia riding has gone to the Conservative Party in its various incarnations since the riding was established in 1997. Abbott won convincingly each time, receiving at least 52 per cent of the vote (and as much as 67.8 per cent) in the past five elections.
While the Conservative Party remains the favourite in the campaign, the NDP has hopes of wrestling the riding away this time around and has won in pre-Abbott times.
Shmigelsky and Wilks, no strangers to each other, worked together on the Regional District of the East Kootenay board from 2002 to 2008.
The East Shore of Kootenay Lake and Lardeau Valley both fall within Kootenay–Columbia.