Summary: A riding slightly changed through redistribution, Nanaimo-Ladysmith is one of many Vancouver Island electoral districts that will elect a new MP in 2015.
Boundaries: Formerly split between two ridings, all of Nanaimo and the northern municipality of Lantzville is in this riding, along with Ladysmith, Gabriola Island and Valdez Island.
Last Election: This is a new seat created from Nanaimo-Cowichan (which elected NDP MP Jean Crowder by 10.6 per cent in 2011) and Nanaimo-Alberni (which elected Conservative MP James Lunney by 8.1 per cent in 2011). Neither of them is running here.
Had this riding existed in the last election, the NDP would have taken it by 4.9 per cent more votes than the Conservatives (based on polling results).
History: With the exception of 1993-2004, the riding with Nanaimo’s city centre has gone NDP in all but one election since 1962, although the northern neighbourhoods are reliably conservative.
The provincial riding of Nanaimo has elected an NDP MLA in 10 of the last 11 provincial elections.
Candidates
Conservative: Mark MacDonald, former managing editor of the Nanaimo Daily News
NDP: Sheila Malcolmson, former Chair of the Islands Trust Council
Liberal: Tim Tessier, independent business consultant
Green: Paul Manly, filmmaker and son of Jim Manly, NDP MP for Nanaimo from 1980 to 1988
Marxist-Leninist: Jack East