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Three major political parties. Three senior political strategists. Three campaign war rooms ready to rumble.

The 2017 B.C. election campaign officially kicks off on Tuesday, signalling the start of a 28-day battle for power.

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As voters get set to weigh their May 9 election choices, they will see many differences between this campaign and the last one in 2013.

The official Opposition NDP has a new leader: John Horgan replaced Adrian Dix after the New Democrats blew a 20-point lead in the polls in 2013 and lost an election they were expected to win.

The B.C. Green party has a new look, too. Leader Andrew Weaver has a seat in the legislature and the wind in his sails after watching his third-place party stage a mini-rally in the polls.

For Premier Christy Clark, though, one thing remains the same: Just like in 2013, she’s suffered another rocky run-up to an election campaign.

Last week, Clark’s government was forced to apologize for the brutal and unjustified firing of eight provincial prescription-drug researchers, one of whom later committed suicide.