Firefighters’ association president Todd Schierling to run for the BC NDP in Delta North

The BC NDP announced on Saturday, Sept. 26, that BC Professional Firefighters’ Association president Todd Schierling will run in Delta North. Schierling hopes to succeed outgoing MLA Ravi Kahlon. The party also named public and active transportation advocate Jason McCormick as its candidate in Delta South. BC NDP Leader David Eby said in a party news release that both candidates care deeply about their communities, understand the challenges people face and have a record of getting things done. He said they would fight for working people’s priorities, including better health care, more homes, greater affordability and good jobs.

Schierling has worked as a suppression fire captain with Surrey Fire Service since 1996. His biography accompanying the announcement says he is a committed community volunteer who helped launch the Surrey Fire Fighters Goodwill Senior Girls High School Basketball Tournament in 2001. The event has provided more than $125,000 in bursaries to female student-athletes. Schierling has also served on the BC Municipal Pension Plan board of trustees, the BC Federation of Labour executive council and the BC First Responders Mental Health Committee. He has taken part in national academic working groups focused on firefighter cancer research and early detection.

Kahlon, who is also the health minister, endorsed Schierling in a social media post, saying he was proud that Todd would run in North Delta. Schierling said ongoing tensions with the U.S. and their local effects prompted him to seek election on Oct. 24. In a party news release, he said Donald Trump’s trade war was adding pressure on families and workers in Delta. He said people need to stand up for Canadian jobs, protect services people rely on and continue investing in communities. Schierling added that after nearly 30 years of community service, he was ready to keep standing up for local residents.

As of Monday morning, Sept. 28, the BC Conservatives had not announced a candidate in Delta North. Nominations for the provincial election close at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 3. CentreBC, led by former Conservative and BC United MLA Elenore Sturko, has named Kuldeep Rangi as its North Delta candidate. Rangi’s biography on the party website says he believes Delta North needs a strong local voice and practical leadership focused on community needs. It describes him as active in local organizations, sports and community activities. His children play hockey and soccer, and he regularly takes part in pickleball, tennis and other activities with residents. Rangi owns a real estate marketing brokerage and has nearly a decade of banking experience with Scotiabank and First West Credit Union.

Unaffiliated candidate Monica Mohan has registered with Elections BC to run in Delta North, but does not appear to have made a public campaign announcement. An editor’s note says that after the newspaper’s press deadline, Mohan’s affiliation on Elections BC’s registered-candidate list changed to the Conservative Party.

Meanwhile, longtime Delta South MLA Ian Paton is running for re-election with the BC Conservatives after a brief period as an independent and with CentreBC. McCormick is challenging him; McCormick ran unsuccessfully against Paton in 2024 and as the federal NDP candidate for Delta in 2025. Jim McMurtry is also running for OneBC. McMurtry is seeking a school trustee seat in Delta’s municipal election, which takes place a week earlier, on Saturday, Oct. 17.