Langley Township Councillor Misty vanPopta will be running for the BC Conservatives in the Langley-Walnut Grove riding in this fall’s election.
VanPopta was first elected to council in 2022 with the Contract With Langley slate. She first ran for council as an independent in 2011.
Born and raised in Langley, she’s lived in North Langley most of her life, in the area covered by the new riding, said the candidate.
This is the first time she’s running for office above the municipal level.
“You always think of your political future, and what you’d like to accomplish, and how you’d like to serve your community,” she said.
But she didn’t start seriously thinking about running provincially until a year ago, she said.
While with the council, vanPopta has been on the Metro Vancouver Water Committee and the Climate Action Committee. She’s also served on the Township’s Heritage Advisory Committee.
Outside of politics, she’s worked as a project management professional in the construction industry, which she said has given her expertise in building housing and urban planning challenges.
She’s also been a small business owner and worked in the pharmaceutical software industry.
In the announcement of her candidacy, vanPopta said she was motivated to run due to overcrowded schools, and a lack of investment in health care and transportation.
“I think the housing legislation is what really put me over the edge,” said vanPopta, of her decision to run.
This is the first time
Her candidacy will see her running against council colleague who was also elected with the Contract With Langley slate.
Coun. Barb Martens is running in Langley-Walnut Grove for the BC United party, formerly known as the BC Liberals.
Running for the NDP will be former school board chair and current Langley East MLA Megan Dykeman.
“You’ve got three strong women,” vanPopta noted of the candidates in Langley-Walnut Grove.
Formerly covered by two ridings – Langley and Langley East – Langley has grown so rapidly that in a recent realignment, it was divided up into three ridings. They are Langley-Abbotsford in the south and east extending out to Bradner Road, Langley-Walnut Grove in the northwest, including Fort Langley and most of Willoughby, and Langley-Willowbrook in the west, including Langley City and parts of Brookswood.
The 2024 provincial election is scheduled for Oct. 19, 2024.
READ ALSO: Township councillor Barb Martens to run for BC United
READ ALSO: MLA Megan Dykeman to run for second term in new riding of Langley-Walnut Grove