Riding profile: Langley
Mary Polak (BC Liberals)
Mary Polak has been in office since 2005 and is the Official Opposition House Leader. Polak grew up in Cloverdale and lives in Langley City with her daughter.
She was appointed to sit on the Select Standing Committee on Education. Polak has previously acted as vice-chair of the Environment and Land Use Committee and was a member of the Cabinet Working Group on Liquefied Natural Gas. She has served as Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation, Minister of Environment, and Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure, among other positions.
Polak brought the new Langley Memorial Hospital Emergency Department, new Langley Hospice Building, Langley Lodge expansion, Langley Youth Hub, Gateway of Hope, and the rapid bus loop at Carvolth to the Langley community. In 2016, she led the establishment of an Intensive Case Management Team to help reduce homelessness in the region.
Polak has been critical of NDP Premier John Horgan’s call for a snap election but says she is running again to continue representing and helping local constituents.
Andrew Mercier (BC NDP)
Andrew Mercier is a lawyer in Langley who ran for city council in 2018 and for MLA for the Langley riding in 2013. He was raised in Langley and currently lives there with his family.
Mercier is a member of the City of Langley’s Crime Prevention Task Group and an executive director of B.C. Building Trades.
Mercier said he wants to join the NDP Horgan government to “continue moving forwards – not backwards.” On his Facebook, Mercier has shown support for the Surrey-Langley SkyTrain extension, which the NDP platform has promised to complete.
He says he participated in the SCRAP-IT program to turn his old car in for credits for an EV to reduce his family’s carbon footprint, in support of the BC NDP’s climate plan commitment to net-zero emissions by 2050.
Shelly Jan (BC Conservative Party)
The BC Conservative party announced Shelly Jan as their riding candidate on Twitter on Sept. 25, saying that “Shelly is looking forward to bringing her experiences to government while representing her constituents. She is eager to meet with you over the next month, and get to work.”
No other campaign statement was released before the date of publication.
Bill Masse (BC Green Party)
Bill Masse is a retired economist who worked in the federal department of Fisheries and Oceans. His first run for elected office was in 2017.
Masse has lived in Langley for over 20 years and has been active in several community organizations such as the Langley Field Naturalists and Climate Crisis Langley Action Partners. He is the current Vice-President of the Langley Performing Arts Society and director of Triple A Senior Housing Society. Masse also plays tuba in the Langley Concert Band.
No campaign statement was released before the date of publication.
