Harwinder Sandhu, MLA for Vernon-Monashee (photo by Liam Verster / Vernon Matters)

By Liam Verster

B.C. politics

Sandhu to seek NDP nomination and second term for Vernon-Lumby

Oct 23, 2023 | 1:00 PM

The local MLA will be seeking a second term serving Vernon and area residents, but first she has to get the support of her party members.

Harwinder Sandhu, the B.C. NDP representative for Vernon-Monashee, told Vernon Matters she would be seeking to have her name on the ballot for the 2024 provincial election.

“I’ve thought about it and the work we’re doing, even when I talk to local leaders and people with different political stripes, it’s really encouraging to hear from them that they have seen progress in the riding, not only in the riding but also in the region,” Sandhu said.

“The investments I advocated for, and still advocate for, have been making a difference, and also from the local leaders, from RDNO to the municipal levels that the work we’re doing together and the advocacy that I am able to do, of course it’s always a collaboration, we have made significant progress. However there’s much more to do and I want to continue to do my part in order to fill any gaps that we have, and continue to build on the progress we’ve made on several fronts. So therefore I’ve decided to again be the prospective candidate seeking nomination and will put my name in for people to choose if they would still like me to be able to represent them, I would be truly honoured.”

Sandhu lives in Coldstream but owns property in Vernon, which allows her to run in the riding.

Possible firearm involved

One person apprehended in connection with suspicious activity in Coldstream

Dec 13, 2025

Fatal Collision, Highway Closed

One person dead in crash near Revelstoke

Dec 13, 2025

Salaries

Vernon Council to discuss lesser pay increases

Dec 12, 2025

Among the accomplishments Sandhu said benefited Greater Vernon residents the last three years were investments in housing and infrastructure, supporting the health care system, establishing more local child care spaces, and supporting the first ever student housing project in Greater Vernon at Okanagan College, but mostly she was most proud of her ability to make herself available to meet with constituents as much as possible.

“Doing pop-up offices where I go to people rather than people having to find me, but still we did have meetings in the office, email exchanges, and phone calls,” Sandhu told Vernon Matters.

“So being accessible and listening to people and doing the follow through. Sometimes the results are not what people want to hear, but I know that I can can say with full confidence that I have been representing them with integrity and sincerity and I still advocate very passionately for people.”

The local MLA said her goal had always been to represent her constituents, no matter their political affiliation, to make Vernon “one of the best communities in the province” while also acknowledging the challenges Vernon and its residents face and bringing those issues to the provincial government to find solutions, and was proud of her work to meet that goal so far.

Though Sandhu told Vernon Matters she intends to run again, this time for the new Vernon-Lumby riding as the existing riding has been split, her spot on the ballot is not guaranteed. The B.C. NDP will hold a constituents vote where registered party members will be able to vote for their representative. As of time of publication, a date had not been set for that vote nor had any other potential candidates been declared.

“So far I haven’t heard anyone express their [intent],” Sandhu told Vernon Matters.

“However the party’s policy and the nomination protocol stays the same whether you’re incumbent, everyone is given equal opportunity to express their interest and then the party nomination process goes through. If there is more than one prospective candidate, the local members at the second stage get to vote.”

There have also been no B.C. NDP nominees declared for the new Kelowna-Lake Country-Coldstream riding.

Two nominees were officially seeking the B.C. United, formerly B.C. Liberals, candidacy for Vernon-Lumby: Lumby Mayor and RDNO Chair, Kevin Acton, and the executive director of the Vernon Public Art Gallery, Dauna Kennedy.

Sandhu said she knows both of the nominees very well and has “very good working relationships” with them.

“It’s great to see them in the race and I’m eager to see who gets the nomination,” Sandhu said.

The Conservative Party of B.C. and the B.C. Green Party had not declared their candidates or nomination dates for Vernon-Lumby as of yet.