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Federal NDP candidate for Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo riding has stepped down

Gina Myhill-Jones cited personal reasons for her decision
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Federal NDP candidate Gina Myhill-Jones has stepped down from running for MP. Photo submitted.

Gina Myhill-Jones, the NDP candidate for MP in the Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo riding, announced her decision to step down on Aug. 6 for personal reasons.

“My decision is personal and in no way political, I still stand firm with Jagmeet and the NDP, fighting for all Canadians and a prosperous new Canada,” she said in a statement on her campaign’s Facebook page.

Myhill-Jones, a resident of 100 Mile House, was acclaimed the Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo candidate for the upcoming federal election on May 26.

Prior to that, Myhill-Jones was involved in Bill Sundhu’s 2015 campaign. Her experience is what made her run for nomination for this year, she told the Free Press in June.

“I watched the process and watched Bill go through that process, so when they asked who was willing to step up, I did.”

Sundhu, now the Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo NDP riding president, said in a news release that Myhill-Jones let him know she was stepping down early morning on Aug. 6 for personal reasons.

“We are grateful to Gina for the work she has undertaken in the riding. Gina will continue to work with the campaign to elect an NDP candidate here,” he said in the release.

RELATED: Gina Myhill-Jones ready to roll up her sleeves for locals

One of Myhill-Jones’ top priorities was affordable, safe housing for women and children in the area, as well as quality healthcare and PharmaCare.

She also mentioned her concern over climate change.

RELATED: Gina Myhill-Jones is seeking the Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo NDP nomination

The search for a new candidate is underway.

“I mean, obviously, this is something you don’t plan for, but it does happen in the course of campaigns across the various political parties. Running for political office - particularly federal office because the ridings are large - is an enormous commitment by candidates and sometimes the public doesn’t really understand how demanding it is,” said Sundhu in a phone interview with the Free Press.

Sundhu expects the new candidate will be in place by the Labour Day weekend.

“I will be meeting with our constituency executive this evening and we will come up with a game plan. I have already placed some calls to two or three people who have expressed interest in the past and we will be tightening the timeline because the election isn’t far off,” he said. “Our team will be active in the community until we have a candidate with our party policies, with our platform. We also have a good, strong ground game as New Democrats so we’re confident we’ll be in good shape.”