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SURREY: After spending time in federal and provincial politics, current NDP MLA Jinny Sims is all set to try her luck in the upcoming municipal elections as the race for the chair of Surrey Mayor heats up.
Sims has formally announced that she will be running for the post of Mayor in Surrey challenging current Mayor Doug McCallum and incumbent Councillor Brenda Locke. She made the announcement at Riverside Signature Banquet Hall, 13030 76 Avenue, Surrey, BC on June 8, 2022.
Sims will be the Mayoral candidate of the new elector organization Surrey Forward. She is joined in by candidates June Liu, Jim Bennett, Ramon Bandong and Theresa Pidcock.
She said that she joined in to fix what she called a “broken,” City hall. “There are two factions at City Hall fighting with each other instead of fighting for the people of Surrey,” she said.
She said that her election campaign runs on three principles: openness and transparency, fairness, and making Surrey affordable for families. She claimed that her elector organization “will choose policy positions in an open manner on transit, roads, recreation facilities, community infrastructure, childcare, education, and so on.”
When asked how she aimed to make Surrey affordable, she said, “We will be working with all levels of government to bring affordable housing and more infrastructure.”
Be it talking about affordability, housing, making transit easy for people, or making Surrey a safe city to live in, these are issues that are running common in Surrey’s election campaign and which current Mayor McCallum and his council are currently working on.
Mayor McCallum has already made a big campaign promise to push for a SkyTrain extension to Newton, while Surrey’s public is still waiting to hear any big or new pledge from Sims or Brenda Locke, the only other candidate for the post of Mayor.
Only time will tell what new, former president of the BC Teachers’ Federation and long-term politician, Sims brings to the table for the people of Surrey once she starts her campaign, which according to her begins this week as she takes unpaid leave for a few days from her provincial duties. When asked will she be resigning as MLA if she gets elected as Mayor, her answer was, “Yes.”
Her slate has candidates from diverse backgrounds and culture, which Sims called reflection of Surrey’s diversity and multiculturalism.
A press release issued by Sims’ office gave some sneak peak into the backgrounds of Surrey Forward team.
June Liu was born in Taipei, Taiwan, and moved to BC when she was just six months old. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Simon Fraser University.
Jim Bennett founded a charity focused on offering local services including homeless shelters, supportive housing and medical services.
Ramon Bandong, born in Philippines is a Surrey resident and passionate about interracial respect, inclusion and dignity, mental well-being.
Theresa Pidcock was employed with the Surrey School District for 15 years and has been a part of various women’s committees for many years.
