Liberals pick Mountie as Surrey South candidate
The former face of the Surrey RCMP is the B.C. Liberal Party's pick for its nominee in the Surrey South byelection.
Elenore Sturko, an RCMP sergeant and former media relations officer for the Surrey Mounties, will represent the Liberals in what is expected to be a hotly contested race for the riding left vacant after the departure of Stephanie Cadieux.
“Elenore's experience working on the front lines of the opioid crisis and tackling issues facing young families in Surrey will be a great asset for our caucus,” said B.C. Liberal Leader Kevin Falcon in a news release issued Thursday.
Sturko said she is “excited to bring fresh ideas and a new perspective to Victoria on behalf of the people of Surrey South.”
Sturko previously worked in television broadcasting in Kamloops before switching to public service. She served in the Canadian Armed Forces as a reservist starting in 2007 and joined the RCMP in 2009.
After postings in Langley, Yellowknife and Ottawa she was transferred in 2018 to Surrey, where she served as the media relations officer for the detachment. She is currently on leave. She and her wife Melissa have three kids and are residents of South Surrey.
The Surrey South riding — the largest in the fast-growing municipality — was won by Cadieux in 2017 and 2020 for the Liberals. She announced her resignation in April to take up a new role as federal chief accessibility commissioner.
B.C. Premier John Horgan has not announced a date for the byelection.