Former RCMP superintendent Mike Morris will vie for retiring MLA Pat Bell's seat in Prince George-Mackenzie this May, the BC Liberal Party announced today.

Morris is president of the BC Trappers Association, a non-profit that promotes "sound, humane furbearer fur management through research, education and cooperation with other related organizations," and represents trappers at all levels of government, according to its website.

Morris said a key election issue will be the economy, and which party "has a better plan to keep B.C. on stable ground," according to a statement released by the Liberals.

"Today's BC Liberals have a strong record of prudent fiscal management that has allowed B.C. to be one of only two provinces with a balanced budget," he said.

"Mike is a hard working, passionate community representative -- he is exactly the type of leader that this riding needs," said MLA Bell in the statement. Bell is not seeking re-election due to concerns over an aneurysm.

Lawyer Bobby Deepak, who founded a Prince George firm that specializes in labour law in 2006, is the BC NDP candidate for the district.

In the 2009 provincial election, Bell won the Prince George-Mackenzie seat with 56 per cent of the vote. Second-place NDP candidate Tobias Lawrence earned 36.8 per cent. The district was created in 2008 largely from the old district of Prince George North, which Bell had held since 2001.

Robyn Smith reports for The Tyee.