The Liberals have their man in Delta South.
Longtime city councillor Bruce McDonald won by a wide margin the party's nomination at a constituency meeting at the Delta Town and Country Inn on Tuesday evening.
McDonald's only challenger was Tsawwassen resident Bruce Fougner, president of a Vancouver travel agency and a member of the Delta Hospital Foundation board.
"I'm very grateful to have won this nomination, and credit my fellow candidate Bruce Fougner for helping bring some great energy to the riding," said McDonald. "The BC Liberals have a major process of renewal going on across B.C., and I'm glad to be a part of it."
Around 100 local Liberals gathered to hear presentations from both candidates and vote.
McDonald, who was first elected to council in 1987 and twice ran for mayor, entered the race at the end of December. He pointed to his experience and belief in strong fiscal management.
In his speech, McDonald noted several accomplishments for council, including obtaining much needed funding for river dredging and the lowering of the municipal debt.
McDonald said that before former Liberal MLA Fred Gingell joined the provincial race in the early 1990s, Gingell had asked him to be the candidate for the riding.
Career and family circumstances prevented him from throwing his hat in the ring at that time, said McDonald, but now he'll strive to be a politician like Gingell, a man who believed in cooperation and hard work.
McDonald enters this year's provincial election with a party struggling in the polls, however, he'll be running in a riding that has a history of voting right.
It's also riding facing a myriad of issues.
McDonald said he would work at the provincial level to directly address the major concerns that affect South Deltans.
Current Delta South MLA Vicki Huntington stated she will likely remain an independent in this year's election.
Huntington narrowly beat Liberal candidate Wally Oppal in the 2009 election by garnering enough disaffected Liberal votes. Even though her political leanings are conservative, Huntington, who received an endorsement from Conservative MP John Cummins, also gained support from significant number of NDP voters who strategically parked their votes with her.
It remains to be seen what scenarios play out in this year's election, but McDonald told the Optimist he believes voters will see that after four years much more can be accomplished by an MLA if that person isn't on their own as an independent.
"It's like having a brand new computer that looks shiny and has power, but it's not plugged in," said McDonald.
The Conservatives and Greens announced they wouldn't run a candidate in Delta South in the upcoming election out of respect for Huntington.
The New Democrats named Nic Slater, who was the NDP candidate for Delta-Richmond East in the last federal election, as their candidate in the riding.
Meanwhile, an intriguing battle is shaping up in the Delta North riding, where NDP MLA Guy Gentner won't be seeking re-election.
Delta council member Sylvia Bishop has been acclaimed the NDP's candidate in that riding, while fellow councillor Scott Hamilton was named the Liberal candidate.
It means there will likely be at least one council seat left vacant following the provincial election, and possibly another should McDonald defeat Huntington, prompting a civic by-election.
The provincial election will be held May 14.
