B.C. cabinet minister bows out of NDP leadership race before it starts

VICTORIA – A New Democrat cabinet minister has taken himself out of the party’s leadership contest to replace British Columbia Premier John Horgan.

Economic Recovery Minister Ravi Kahlon says in a statement the time is not right for him to seek the NDP leadership.

Horgan announced last week that he’ll resign as leader in the fall after the party holds a leadership convention, saying his second bout with cancer left him with little energy for the job.

Kahlon says he’s throwing his support for the new leader behind Attorney General David Eby, who has yet to announce if he is running.

Kahlon says Eby is the right person to be the province’s next premier and continue the work the NDP government has been doing since 2017.

Eby is a three-term member of the legislature from Vancouver who has taken on some of the province’s pivotal issues, including money laundering, housing and the overhaul of public vehicle insurance.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 6, 2022.