Long-time politician Mike de Jong has announced that the Conservative Party of Canada has declined his application to seek the nomination for the Abbotsford-South Langley riding.
On a social media post on Tuesday (March 4), de Jong said he was informed of the decision on Monday night after almost a year of campaigning.
“This decision comes despite the fact that the local Electoral District Candidate Selection Committee unanimously endorsed my candidacy, recognizing my qualifications and deep roots in this community,” de Jong posted.
He wrote that the party felt he was “not sufficiently qualified to serve as a member of parliament.”
“(This is) a conclusion that is disappointing – not just for me, but thousands of Conservative members who signed up to support my candidacy and were prepared to cast their vote for me this weekend,” he stated.
“It is difficult to comprehend how I would not be deemed worthy of having my name on the ballot.”
De Jong, 60, served as the Abbotsford West MLA under BC United (formerly the Liberals) for 30 years.
He announced in February 2024 that he was retiring from provincial politics. In mid-April, he confirmed he would seek the federal Conservative nomination for the Abbotsford-South Langley riding being vacated by retiring long-time MP Ed Fast.
Still in the running for the riding’s nomination are Shanjeelin Dwivedi, Mike Murray, Steve Schafer, Sukhman Singh Gill and Gurnoor Sidhu.The nomination vote is slated to take place this Saturday, March 8.
A federal election must take place this year in October, but is expected to take place sooner than that.
The Abbotsford News has reached out to the riding association for comment and will update the story accordingly.
More to come …
