Dan Vandal takes run at federal politics as Liberal candidate

A longtime Winnipeg city councillor is setting his sights on a seat in Parliament.

Coun. Dan Vandal is going to take on Conservative MP Shelly Glover in the 2015 federal election.

He was acclaimed Tuesday night as the Liberal candidate for St. Boniface, the same area he represents on city council.

Vandal was given the nod at a packed house with more than 150 people cheering him on.

"I'm very very impressed, I'm blown away actually," he said. "I think it shows you when 150 people come out to a meeting in St. Boniface, when the Habs are playing and when it's 26 degrees outside, there's something happening here."

The United Fire Fighters of Winnipeg have thrown their support behind Vandal, who was first elected to council in 1995 and served ever since, except for two years.

He resigned in 2004 to run for mayor when Glen Murray stepped down in mid-term to take a run at federal politics. Vandal ran for the vacant mayoral seat but placed second to winner Sam Katz.

He was re-elected to council in 2006.

Vandal said he will serve out the rest of his council term, which ends in October 2014 with the civic election, then focus on his federal campaign.