B.C. Premier Christy Clark has called byelections Thursday to fill a pair of ridings left vacant by resigning Liberal MLAs Iain Black and Barry Penner.
Black left his Port Moody-Coquitlam riding in August for a job with the Vancouver Board of Trade, while Penner ditched his Chilliwack-Hope seat in January to return to his law practice.
Between the two ridings, there are 90,000 voters who have been without representation for months.
Former Port Moody mayor Joe Transolini will be looking to snatch Black's seat for the NDP, battling Liberal candidate Dennis Marsden and the BC Conservatives' Christine Clark -- not to be mistaken with the sitting premier, who previously held the seat.
In Chilliwack-Hope, Laurie Throness, long-time chief of staff to former federal cabinet minister Chuck Strahl, will represent the Liberals against NDP nominee Gwen O'Mahony and criminologist and media commentator John Martin of the Conservatives.
The byelections are being held on April 19.
