Metro Vancouver federal ridings to watch amid early election polling

With early polls showing a tight race in the upcoming federal election, eyes are beginning to turn to key ridings across Metro Vancouver.

Over the weekend, former Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson announced he is running as the Liberal candidate in the Vancouver Fraserview-South Burnaby riding.

That seat is currently held by Liberal MP Harjit Sanjin, who is not seeking re-election.

Other ridings that pollsters are watching include the Liberal-held Vancouver Granville, Liberal Richmond Centre, and the Conservative-held Langley-Aldergrove riding.

Angus Reid Institute president Shachi Kurl says Liberal Leader Mark Carney has breathed new life into the party, with the Conservatives trying to play some catch-up as the NDP are struggling with falling support.

“Advance voting starts, you know, in about a week or perhaps longer before actual election day. This campaign is less than five weeks, and so there is very little time for any of the parties who have to play catch-up to do that. Now it’s not over till it’s over,” said Kurl.

“I mean, at this stage. The NDP is in the political equivalent of the ICU. This is not good news. Now, parties can pull out of those types of situations. It’s possible, but this is a very, very short campaign,” Kurl explained.

Federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh currently holds the Burnaby-South riding.

“We’ve seen the NDP a mere two and a half months ago, sitting at 20 plus per cent in voter intent, in the polls now down to single digits — down to nine per cent. That’s like saying that a patient has gone from being in good or healthy condition to critical,” Kurl said.

The federal election is on April 28.