FORT ST. JOHN/DAWSON CREEK -- Peace River North is set to see a competitive race in the upcoming October 19 election, with two new candidates entering the fray.

Ian McMahon will represent the BC NDP on the ballot.

The political operative, based in Victoria, currently serves as Chief of Staff for the province’s Forests Minister Bruce Ralston. According to a brief biography on the BC NDP website, McMahon’s campaign will focus on being in the “people’s corner,” with promises to build homes, strengthen healthcare, and tackle the cost of living.

“After roles in Ontario, Ottawa, Thailand and the United States, Ian moved to British Columbia, where he worked to build a forestry industry that supports good-paying jobs and preserves our forests for future generations,” reads his profile on the BC NDP website.

During the 2020 General Election, nearly 10 per cent of voters cast a ballot for the NDP in Peace River North.

While the BC Greens have named Brennan Wauters as their candidate. Wauters, a self-described “energy literacy advocate,” has previously run in several ridings during different election cycles, most recently in the 2021 federal election for the Central Okanagan Similkameen-Nicola region. However, the Greens have yet to release any information on his platform for Peace River North with less than a month to go before voters head to the polls.

The new candidates join incumbent Independent MLA Dan Davies and Jordan Kealy of the BC Conservatives in the race.

In Peace River South, the NDP is also set to name its candidate. 

Marshall Scott-Bigsby, based in Victoria, is an advisor for the Ministry of Water, Lands, and Resource Stewardship. His work in government began in 2022 as an administrative assistant in the Office of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation. Although Scott-Bigsby has yet to be officially announced by the BC NDP, paperwork for his candidacy is currently being filed.

Scott-Bigsby will face long-serving MLA Mike Bernier, who is listed as “unaffiliated” since the BC United folded their campaign last month, along with Larry Neufeld of the BC Conservatives.