Annita McPhee has thrown her name into the running for the nomination for the provincial riding of Stikine bolstered by the NDP's own mandate that should make her a shoo-in for the nomination.
The B.C. NDP's Equity Mandate states that when a male MLA does not seek re-election - as current MLA Doug Donaldson has announced - the party requires that the next nominee be a member of an equity-seeking group, such as an Indigenous person or a woman.
McPhee stated in a release on Saturday that as late as Sept. 17, no members of an equity-seeking group had applied for the nomination.
Then Nathan Cullen, former NDP Member of Parliament for Stikine-Bulkley Valley, seemingly announced on Twitter later that same day at 3 p.m. that he was putting his name forward.
McPhee "is asking that the BC NDP vet her as a potential candidate formally," the release states. "The Stikine riding includes the homelands of the Tahltan people. Stikine also has the second highest percentage of Indigenous peoples of all provincial ridings."
McPhee - a prominent Indigenous advocate who served three terms as president of the Tahltan central government - has the support of several Indigenous chiefs from the riding, including Chief Glen Williams from Gitanyow; Chief Chastity Daniels from Gitwangak; Chief Marie Quock from Iskut; Chief Rick McLean from Tahltan, and Hereditary Chief Yobx from Gitsegukla.
Two women have announced their intentions to run for the NDP in a pair of neighbouring ridings - Anne Marie Sam in Nechako Lakes and Nicole Halbauer in Skeena.
In a press release issued Monday, the NDP listed Cullen as the candidate nominated in Stikine.
