Sooke Mayor Maja Tait officially became the federal NDP candidate for Esquimalt-Saanich-Sooke on Thursday after a majority of party members voted in favor of the lone candidate.
 
The party confirmed Tait's candidacy at an event in Esquimalt attended by NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh.
 
Tait, who has been a New Democrat supporter for more than a decade, was the only person to run for the nomination.
 
She was elected to Sooke council in 2008 and served two terms before becoming mayor in 2014.
 
She was re-elected in 2018 and 2022.
 
Tait was surprised when Garrison first approached her about becoming the New Democrat candidate, and when he mentioned he might retire after his term, she began to take it seriously.
 
She filled out nomination papers in May and was acclaimed as the candidate earlier this month.
 
Singh said Tait's experience in local government has already demonstrated a commitment to the community, and now she'll take that to the next level as a Member of Parliament.
 
The Sooke press conference, which was nationally televised, primarily focused on affordability issues, issues Tait expects to address in the next federal election.
 
The NDP has advocated for affordability measures through its confidence-and-supply agreement with the Liberals, including dental care, a one-time rental supplement, and doubling the GST rebate.
 
The next federal election must be called on or before 20 Oct 2025.
 
Upon the federal election call, Tait will take an unpaid leave of absence from Sooke council.
 
Regardless of the election outcome, Tait has stated that this will be her final term as the mayor of Sooke.
 
Kevin Laird.

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