Wednesday September 25, 2024 | LANGFORD, BC [Updated September 26, 2024]
BC ELECTION CAMPAIGN DAY 5 of 28
Political feature interview by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
Your 28-day voter’s guide for BC Election 2024
With a big bang display of blue BC Conservative signage, Mike Harris officially launched his Langford-Highlands election 2024 campaign office with a drop-in event in the 5 to 7 pm after-work-hours early evening in Langford.
The casual event was hosted this evening at the offices of Wes-Tech, a Langford-based irrigation parts supplier.
Guests were mostly local party-faithful with handshakes and hugs for Harris who is confident of his chances to win the riding that has been long-held by the BC NDP.
Even before former Premier John Horgan held the riding as MLA from 2005 to 2023, the riding was NDP-strong under Moe Sihota (during 1986 to 2001) who was also BC NDP party president (2009-2013).
Harris was joined at the event by transportation entrepreneur and fellow candidate John Wilson who is running to be MLA in the next-door riding of Esquimalt-Colwood. Wilson was chair of the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce (2020 to 2023) by which he brings strong business connections to the west shore for his own riding as well as for Harris.
From a career in construction — journeyman carpenter and building a business, Harris moved to Langford four years ago from the BC mainland (Maple Ridge, Mission, Vernon, then South Surrey) and got his feet wet with provincial politics as the BC Conservative candidate in the 2023 by-election in Langford-Juan de Fuca in June 2023. He achieved a robust second-place finish against BC NDP local superstar Ravi Parmar in the by-election last year.
Former BC United candidate Elena Lawson from last year’s Lanford-Juan de Fuca by-election popped in to Harris’ event.
Langford-Highlands competition:
The 2024 provincial election in Langford-Highlands is a three-way race.
Harris is again up against the young high-profile BC NDP candidate Ravi Parmar who is well-backed by the provincial party.
The BC Green candidate for Langford-Highlands is Erin Cassels who could split the progressive vote in the politically polarized riding.
Mood for change:
The Harris campaign has gained momentum in 2024 on the coattails of federal conservative popularity under Conservative Party of Canada Leader Pierre Poilievre.
The electorate has a mood for change both provincially and federally with mixed views on how governments handled the COVID pandemic and the economic recovery that has followed.
Harris is also riding the crest of a desire for change in BC political leadership after seven years of BC NDP government momentum. A now-retired, he’s on board with common sense and cutting red tape. He has concerns about what he calls “government overreach”, saying that government is important, but is concerned about how much government does that could be achieved by natural market forces.
His campaign profile online says that Harris’ insights and understanding of business dynamics have earned him respect and admiration across Langford and beyond.
Harris has been a regional director with the Conservative Party of BC for the last two years. His online campaign profile says “with Mike at the helm, the voters in Langford-Highlands will have true representation in the Legislature”.
West shore polarization:
The strong undercurrent of conservative politics in the west shore was served federally by Keith Martin for a long stretch (1993 to 2011 in Esquimalt-Juan de Fuca).
Harris will likely benefit from the shift of the Langford-Highlands riding name and boundaries that focus the voter base tightly in Langford this time, compared to the previous Langford-Juan de Fuca for the 2023 by-election which also included Sooke and rural areas of East Sooke and west of Sooke out to Port Renfrew.
Parmar is also likely hoping to capitalize on the Langford-tight focus in this 2024 election including his widespread connections through having served as the Sooke School District (SD62) board chair for many years and already this past year in the BC NDP cabinet as the Parliamentary Secretary for International Credentials.
Aconrding to Elections BC the population of Langford-Highlands is 49,110 packed into 86 sq km (though the City of Langford already claims more than 50,000 people live in the growing municipality). Langford is urbanizing rapidly with a focus on housing growth that attracts new residents from other parts of Greater Victoria and other provinces, as well as new-to-Canada immigration while the District of Highlands maintains relatively low housing density and focuses on environmental sustainability.
Public events:
This was an open public event, at which a few local politically active residents came with questions for Harris including about how the COVID pandemic was handled by the NDP government.
Locals will find Harris at his information booth at the upcoming Luxton Fall Fair this weekend, September 28 and 29 in Langford.
===== RELATED:
- John Wilson could achieve an upset in Esquimalt-Colwood (September 12, 2024)
- Election 2024: Langford-Highlands three-way race (September 1, 2024)
- Three west shore ridings heating up toward BC Election 2024 (February 12, 2024)
- By-election analysis: signals for how the BC political wind blows (June 17, 2023)
- Could be a close race in Langford-Juan de Fuca by-election (June 15, 2023)
- NEWS SECTIONS: BC PROVINCIAL ELECTION 2024 | POLITICS | BUSINESS & ECONOMY
- CAMPAIGN ITINERARIES & FEATURE ARTICLES: Your 28-day voter’s guide for BC Election 2024