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The New Democratic Party is without a federal candidate in a British Columbia riding for the second time in barely a month.

Dock Currie was acclaimed last week as the NDP candidate in Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo, replacing Gina Myhill-Jones, who stepped down Aug. 7 for what she described as personal reasons.

A spokesman for the federal NDP says Currie, a second-year student studying law at Thompson Rivers University, withdrew his candidacy at the request of the party.

The B.C. chair of the NDP federal campaign says Currie was asked to step aside because of “problematic” social media posts, but did not elaborate.

Glen Sanford says the posts were found after the vetting process and the content does not reflect who Currie is today.

Currie could not be reached for comment, but a Facebook account in the name of “Dock Currie” published an apology for comments made to two pipeline supporters two years ago.

“I have been asked to step down as a result of problematic social media engagement two years ago, made in a context in which I was a graduate student without any designs on public life,” the statement says.

“The comments I made were flippant and aggressive, and do not reflect who I am today, nor do I stand by them in the form in which they were made, and I understand completely that they would be an unnecessary and unwarranted distraction from the vital message and campaign of the NDP across the country.”

Sanford says the party is looking for a replacement candidate and people are considering running.

“As soon as they are ready to announce it publicly, you’ll hear about it,” he says.

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