Mike Morris can start getting his general election campaign signs ready.
The retired RCMP officer and current president of B.C. Trappers' Association will be acclaimed as the Liberal candidate in Prince George-Mackenzie after no other candidates stepped forward before Thursday afternoon's deadline.
Morris said he's surprised he won't have to contest the nomination.
"There are some good candidates out there and why they decided not to run or put their name in the hat, we'll never know," he said. "At the end of the from a riding association perspective it makes life a little bit easier."
Three-term Liberal incumbent Pat Bell made a surprise announcement on Feb. 17 that he would not be seeking re-election due to a health condition which opened up the party's nomination. Morris stepped down as riding association president and launched his campaign for the seat on Feb. 20.
"We were in good hands with Pat Bell and when he told me of his medical condition it took me by surprise," Morris said. "He asked me to consider letting my name stand as a candidate. I didn't tell him yes or no right off the bat because I had never thought this day would come."
After a couple of weeks of contemplation, Morris decided to make the jump into provincial politics.
Nomination meetings will be called for the coming weeks in both Mackenzie and Prince George which will make Morris' candidacy official.
"It's a new experience for me and I've always been up for a challenge," he said. "I look at this as just another challenging job. The application process is a little bit more enhanced than most of them are but I don't think it's anything I can't handle."
Bobby Deepak of the NDP is the only other nominated candidate for the May 14 vote, but both the Conservatives and the Greens have pledged to run candidates in the riding.
