The challengers in the riding of Richmond-East have an almost thankless task in the May 14 provincial election - trying to unseat longtime incumbent Liberal MLA Linda Reid.
Reid is embarking on her sixth, consecutive campaign - she was first elected in 1991 - and in the last provincial vote in 2009 she cruised to victory with 10,853 votes - close to double her nearest rival, Shawkat Hasan who ran for the NDP.
So, the Richmond News sat down with each of the currently registered candidates - Reid, Nathaniel Lim (BC Conservative Party), Gian Sihota (NDP), and Ping Chan (BC Excalibur Party) this week to get a read on who they are and where they stand on a number of issues that resonated with constituents.
We asked them about illegal dumping on farmland; the proposals to transport jet fuel and coal down the South Arm of the Fraser River; and the option to replace the congested Massey Tunnel with a new crossing from South Delta, possibly in the No. 8 Road area.
Each Wednesday for the next three weeks leading up to the May 14 provincial election, the Richmond News will bring you the candidates and the issues in each of the three ridings on Lulu Island. In the first installment, we focus on Richmond-East.
