Raj Chouhan
Raj Chouhan is a Canadian politician and trade unionist, who was elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia as the MLA for Burnaby-Edmonds in the 2005 provincial election. He is serving as the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. He previously served as the Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly from 2017 to 2020. While in opposition he served as the critic for Mental Health; Human Rights, Immigration and Multiculturism and Labour. He was re-elected in 2009 and 2013.
Raj Chouhan | |
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40th Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia | |
Assumed office December 7, 2020 | |
Premier | John Horgan David Eby |
Lieutenant Governor | Janet Austin |
Preceded by | Darryl Plecas |
Member of the British Columbia Legislative Assembly for Burnaby-Edmonds | |
Assumed office May 17, 2005 | |
Preceded by | Patty Sahota |
Personal details | |
Born | March 4 India |
Political party | New Democrat |
Residence | Burnaby, British Columbia |
Occupation | Union leader |
Born in the Punjab province of India, Chouhan was the founding president of the Canadian Farmworkers Union and served as a director of the Hospital Employees' Union. He also served as a member of the Labour Relations Board of B.C. and the Arbitration Bureau of B.C.
A founding member of the B.C. Organization to Fight Racism, Chouhan has worked to promote human rights and racial equality. He has served as the Vice President of B.C. Human Rights Defenders since 2003, and has taught courses on Human Rights, the B.C. Labour Code and collective bargaining since 1987.
Electoral record
2020 British Columbia general election: Burnaby-Edmonds | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
New Democratic | Raj Chouhan | 11,063 | 62.01 | +7.76 | $38,987.91 | |||
Liberal | Tripat Atwal | 4,754 | 26.65 | −5.43 | $62,427.04 | |||
Green | Iqbal Parekh | 2,023 | 11.34 | −2.33 | $889.57 | |||
Total valid votes | 17,840 | 100.00 | – | |||||
Total rejected ballots | ||||||||
Turnout | ||||||||
Registered voters | ||||||||
Source: Elections BC[1][2] |
2017 British Columbia general election: Burnaby-Edmonds | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
New Democratic | Raj Chouhan | 10,827 | 54.25 | +2.82 | $47,595.75 | |||
Liberal | Garrison Duke | 6,404 | 32.08 | −6.55 | $42,998.98 | |||
Green | Valentine Wu | 2,728 | 13.67 | +4.93 | $2,758.14 | |||
Total valid votes | 19,959 | 100.00 | – | |||||
Total rejected ballots | 156 | 0.78 | −0.34 | |||||
Turnout | 20,115 | 53.81 | +4.81 | |||||
Registered voters | 37,385 | |||||||
Source: Elections BC[3][4] |
2013 British Columbia general election: Burnaby-Edmonds | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
New Democratic | Raj Chouhan | 9,253 | 51.43 | -0.51 | $79,346 | |||
Liberal | Jeff Kuah | 6,950 | 38.63 | +0.27 | $20,696 | |||
Green | Wyatt Tessari | 1,573 | 8.74 | +2.00 | $600 | |||
Excalibur | Nicholas Edward D'Amico | 215 | 1.20 | – | $341 | |||
Total valid votes | 17,991 | 100.00 | ||||||
Total rejected ballots | 203 | 1.12 | ||||||
Turnout | 18,194 | 49.00 | ||||||
Source: Elections BC[5] |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | Expenditures | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
New Democratic | Raj Chouhan | 8,647 | 51.94% | +20.52% | $75,002 | |
Liberal | Lee Rankin | 6,385 | 38.36% | -7.71% | $80,469 | |
Green | Carrie McLaren | 1,122 | 6.74% | -3.17% | $383 | |
Libertarian | Dan Cancade | 493 | 2.96% | +2.96% | $643 | |
Total valid votes | 16,647 | 100% | ||||
Total rejected ballots | 178 | 1.06% | ||||
Turnout | 16,825 | 49.07% |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | Expenditures | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NDP | Raj Chouhan | 10,337 | 46.71% | +5.23% | $71,644 | |
Liberal | Patty Sahota | 9,599 | 43.38% | -5.02% | $109,119 | |
Green | Suzanne Deveau | 2,192 | 9.91% | – | $1,754 | |
Total valid votes | 22,128 | 100% | ||||
Total rejected ballots | 155 | 0.70% | ||||
Turnout | 22,283 | 57.70% |

References
- "2020 Provincial General Election Final Voting Results". electionsbcenr.blob.core.windows.net. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
- "Election Financing Reports". Elections BC. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
- "2017 Provincial General Election - Statement of Votes" (PDF). Elections BC. Retrieved May 11, 2017.
- "Election Financing Reports". Elections BC. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
- "Statement of Votes - 40th Provincial General Election" (PDF). Elections BC. Retrieved May 17, 2017.
External links
- Raj Chouhan - New Democrat - Official Opposition
- Records of Raj Chouhan are held by Simon Fraser University's Special Collections and Rare Books