Gregor Robertson is the new mayoral nominee for the municipal Vision Vancouver party, officials said on Sunday.
Robertson will face Non-Partisan Association party nominee Peter Ladner in the race for the city's top job before the civic election in November.
Earlier on Sunday, thousands of Vision party members lined up and waited as long as an hour to cast their vote for a mayoral candidate.
Vision party officials said the turnout was high after 4,000 members showed up before noon, some as early as 7 a.m., to cast their vote for one of three mayoral hopefuls: Allan De Genova, Raymond Louie and Robertson.
Voters came from all areas of the city, independently and on several campaign buses, as the event at the east Vancouver Croatian Cultural Centre took on a festival-like atmosphere with music, balloons, food and performers.
As voters filed into the Centre's auditorium, the energy was palpable.
"It's tremendous," said Robertson on Sunday morning. "It means a lot for Vancouver, that people are willing to come out in these kinds of numbers for a nomination race and change the politics of Vancouver."
Raymond Louie said the high turnout for the vote was an indication the party will be poised to win the election in November.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Stephen Smart
