Cullen To Decide By End of Week If He Will Run for Provincial Leadership

By 250 News

Prince George, B.C. – Nathan Cullen, M.P. for Skeena-Bulkley is mulling  over whether or not he will take a shot to be leader of the Provincial New Democrats.  “I am going to decide by the end of this week” says  Cullen.

He says his initial reaction to the  question  was no, “I’m pretty happy where I am,  doing the work I’m doing federally.”

However,  he says  his  considering the option was brought upon by the volume and quality of calls and emails from people saying he  should run.  Although he promised to leave the door  open on the subject, he says he doesn’t want to mislead anybody “My feelings are  very much leaning towards no and let others vie for the leadership.”

Cullen says  at this stage  he is flattered that he is being asked “If you had told me eight years ago, or even one year ago that my name would even be in the conversation, I would have told you,  you’re smokin’ some of the funny stuff.  I do what I do, I  don’t have these kind of aspirations, I know some folks get into politics and it’s a ladder climbing experience,  and its always one step to the next, and that’s fine it’s good to have that kind of ambition, but my ambition is for this region.”

He says he will back whoever the party selects and give them a hand to try and form government in B.C.  Cullen admits   it would be a nice change to have a leader from a rural riding but adds, the reality is, it is  far more difficult for a rural candidate to  sign up  a thousand members  compared to those in much more  urban settings where there is a much larger population base.

The New Democrats leadership convention is set for April 17^th.

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