All four major B.C. parties will run candidates in Premier Clark's riding in the May provincial election, with the BC Conservatives' announcement this morning that Duane Nickull, a computer software programmer, will represent the party in Vancouver-Point Grey.

Nickull will attempt to siphon off some of the traditionally BC Liberal votes cast in the west side riding.

"I expect that Duane will cause a lot of excitement for Point Grey voters in the campaign leading up to election day on May 14," said Conservative leader John Cummins in a press release issued by the party.

The release described Nickull as a former "senior technical evangelist" at Adobe Systems Incorporated and an "accomplished" technical writer. Between 2003 and 2006, he represented Canada at the United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business in Geneva.

He also fronts an indie-rock band called 22nd Century, where he appears to go by the name "Duane Chaos."

Vancouver-Point Grey has traditionally been a BC Liberal stronghold. But the May 11, 2011 byelection, which saw new Liberal leader Christy Clark running for the Point Grey seat, was a tight race.

Clark edged out NDP rival David Eby, the former executive director of the BC Civil Liberties Association, by a mere 564 votes. The Conservatives did not run a candidate in the byelection, nor in the 2009 election.

This election, Premier Clark and Eby will face off again. Nickull and Green candidate Francoise Raunet, who earned 447 votes in the 2011 byelection, round out the candidate list.

Robyn Smith reports for The Tyee.