Lawyer Richard Lee has emerged as a late runner in the race for Richmond Centre at next months B.C. election.
Lee, who ran unsuccessfully for mayor and city council respectively at the last two municipal elections, is set to throw his hat in as an independent candidate.
The former Merritt and Burnaby school trustee only picked up his nomination papers on Monday from Richmonds Election BC office, but told the News he intends to file his application before Fridays deadline.
Lee, who runs a law practice in the Richmond Centre riding, said he was convinced by friends to run after they started asking questions about whom they should vote for on May 14.
People keep coming to me and saying who do I vote for, and I always tell them they should vote for the most competent and able person and not for the party, said Lee, who claims he was courted earlier this year by some of the mainstream political parties as a possible candidate.
If I get elected, the people of Richmond will have someone in Victoria who is willing to speak their mind and not do as their party tells them.
Lee bit a sizeable chunk out of Mayor Malcolm Brodies vote in the 2011 civic election, garnering 9,054 votes to Brodie's 20,955, despite working with tiny fraction of the incumbents financial campaign backing.
He said he chose to run in Richmond Centre because it has an outgoing incumbent in Rob Howard and its his best chance of making an impact.
Also running in Richmond Centre are: Frank Huang (NDP), Teresa Wat (Liberal), Michael Wolfe (Greens), Gary Law (Independent) and Chanel Donovan (Unparty).
