NDP MLA Jinny Sims to announce candidacy for mayor of Surrey

New Democrat MLA Jinny Sims is expected to announce this week that she will be running for mayor of Surrey in the next municipal election. 

CBC News has confirmed with multiple sources that Sims will announce her bid to become mayor of B.C.'s second largest city during an event on Wednesday.

The municipal election is Oct. 15. Sims would be the first person of colour to serve as mayor of Surrey if she is elected. 

Along with Sims' bid for the city's top job, a new party called Surrey Forward will be launched as well. It is unknown at this time who will be on the party's slate. 

Sims was first elected as the president of the B.C. Teachers' Federation in 2004, then served as an NDP MP before jumping into provincial politics in 2017. 

From July 2017 until October 2019, Sims served as the provincial minister for citizens' services but resigned from her position after allegations of misconduct. In April 2020, a special prosecutor reported that he and the RCMP had found no evidence to support the charges against her and had cleared her of any wrongdoing.

Another NDP MLA, Harry Bains from Surrey-Newton, was considering a run for mayor but in a series of tweets, Bains said he remained committed to making B.C. stronger through his work as an MLA.

MP Sukh Dhaliwal has also hinted that he is considering challenging Doug McCallum, Surrey's current mayor, in October's election. Current Councillor Brenda Locke has also announced her candidacy for mayor with a new party called Surrey Connect.