Jenny Kwan wins federal NDP nomination for Vancouver East

B.C. MLA Jenny Kwan has defeated fellow provincial NDP MLA Mable Elmore to win the nomination for the federal NDP seat in Vancouver East.

The riding was held by Libby Davies, who has been the Member of Parliament in Vancouver East since 1997. Davies announced in December she will not run again.

"We are going to keep Vancouver East orange!," said Kwan as she thanked her supporters after results were announced at the Vancouver Technical School auditorium on East Broadway shortly after 5 p.m. PT Sunday.

Kwan said if she is elected she will fight for the rights of the vulnerable in society.

"I want to see a national childcare program, I want to see a national inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women and girls," she said. "I want to see temporary foreign workers treated in a way that is respectful. Frankly, if they're good enough to work here they're good enough to stay."

Kwan is a former Vancouver City councillor, who has represented Mount Pleasant in the B.C. legislature since 1996.

She was challenged for the nomination by Elmore, who was first elected to the B.C. Legislature in 2009.

With an election expected no later than Oct 19, Kwan is expected to play a key role on federal NDP leader Thomas Mulcair's team.

She said she'll talk to provincial NDP leader John Horgan soon to discuss a "transition period" allowing her to exit the B.C. legislature and focus on the federal election.