OTTAWA - NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is expected to spend the bulk of his time and energy in the federal B.C. riding of Burnaby-South in January as he tries to secure a much-needed seat in the House of Commons.
Singh's new chief of staff and longtime party strategist Jennifer Howard says the leader has been out to the riding a number of times, but will become a full-time candidate in the new year.
Howard, who took on her new role earlier this month, says the NDP is working hard for every vote in the expected February byelection.
The race constitutes Singh's biggest political fight to date as he tries to calm concerns over disappointing fundraising, polls that show his party stuck in third place and a growing number of veteran MPs who say they won't run in 2019.
Singh won't say whether he will step down should he lose the byelection.
The riding was vacated by former New Democrat MP Kennedy Stewart, now Vancouver's mayor.