Rob Miyashiro has entered the race to win the NDP nomination for Lethbridge-West.
The former city councillor made the announcement on Wednesday, August 7. The seat was vacated earlier this year following the resignation of former NDP MLA Shannon Phillips.
READ MORE: Lethbridge-West MLA Shannon Phillips resigns
Miyashiro talked about some of his priorities ahead of a by-election.
“It’s about health care, it’s about repairing the chaos that this UCP has caused. It’s about standing for our CPP, stopping Danielle Smith’s plan to gamble with our retirement security,” he said.
“It’s about building on the groundbreaking work of our longtime MLA Shannon Phillips to be a strong voice for Lethbridge.”
Miyashiro says another focus of his is the education system.
“Our education system continues to suffer from large classroom sizes, not enough new schools and few supports in classrooms for kids.”
He spoke about his experience in the community.
Miyashiro is the executive director of the Lethbridge Senior Citizens Organization and served on city council from 2013 to 2021. He also ran with the NDP in the Lethbridge-East riding during the 2023 provincial election, falling to current UCP MLA Nathan Neudorf.
“I will fight for Lethbridge, and I will fight for Albertans,” Miyashiro says.
Former Lethbridge-West MLA Shannon Phillips was on-hand for his announcement and provided Miyashiro with her endorsement.
“I have full faith in Rob’s work ethic, his values and his roots in our community. I know the dedication, the hard work and the good humour that it takes to win a seat in southern Alberta, and I know Rob has all of that along with that he has built,” she says.
Also on Wednesday, Bridget Mearns announced that she is seeking the NDP nomination for the Lethbridge-West riding.
READ MORE: Bridget Mearns running for NDP nomination in Lethbridge-West
Individuals have until Friday, August 23 to get their NDP membership. The nomination meeting will be on Saturday, September 7. Only registered members of the Lethbridge-West NDP constituency can vote in the nomination.
