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After ‘much consideration,’ Surrey-Newton MLA says he’s not running for mayor

Harry Bains says he remains ‘committed to the province and making a stronger BC’
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Surrey-Newton MLA Harry Bains on July 22, 2021. (File photo: Lauren Collins)

Surrey-Newton MLA Harry Bains will not be running for mayor in the upcoming civic election this fall.

In a series of tweets Friday (Jan. 7), Bains said while he thanks the people in the community who “urged” him to run for the mayor’s seat in the October election, he remains “committed to the province and making a stronger BC through my work as an MLA & cabinet.”

“After much consideration, I believe the best way I can serve people in my Surrey community and people across BC is to continue to work hard to improve conditions for workers, improve services we rely on such as health & education, build a secure future & make life more affordable,” reads a tweet.

It was just earlier this week that he said he told the Now-Leader he would “think” about running for mayor.

“Number one, my priorities lies with the province,” he told the Now-Leader on Jan. 4. “That’s where my passion is. All the issues, health care, education, fair labour laws, public transporation, child care, are all under provincial and I am deeply involved in that.”

Bains has been Newton’s MLA since 2005.

READ ALSO: Surrey-Newton MLA Harry Bains says he’ll ‘think’ about running for mayor, Jan. 4, 2021

Bains is not the only Surrey MLA who has been asked to run for mayor in Surrey.

In December, Surrey-Panorama MLA Jinny Sims said people have asked her to run, “but right now my focus is on my own constituency.”

Sims added that she’s also learned in her life to “never say never because that might jinx me or something.”

“When people asked me to run to be the president of the BCTF, I said I would never, ever do that job. I ended up being the president. Then when Jack Layton said to me, ‘Would you run to be an MP?’ and I said hell would freeze over.”

But she added the switch to civic politics is “not on my radar right now.”

“I am flattered when people phone and ask you. It’s a big decision, there’s a lot to think about. Let’s see what the new year brings, maybe over Christmas I’ll have a change of heart. But right now, (I’m) really happy to be where I am.”

READ ALSO: Three Safe Surrey Coalition councillors say they will still run with slate in 2022, Dec. 15, 2021

– With files from Tom Zytaruk



lauren.collins@surreynowleader.com

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Lauren Collins

About the Author: Lauren Collins

I'm a provincial reporter for Black Press Media's national team, after my journalism career took me across B.C. since I was 19 years old.
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