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The B.C. NDP wants voters to know that Christy Clark has been in politics for a very long time.

Today, party leader John Horgan plans to launch his provincial election campaign with appearances in two constituencies previously represented by the premier.

This first will be at 9:20 a.m. at a private residence in Port Moody. Clark was first elected in 1996 in the former constituency of Port Moody-Burnaby Mountain.

The NDP is hoping that its candidate, Port Moody city councillor Rick Glumac, can defeat incumbent B.C. Liberal Linda Reimer in Port Moody-Coquitlam.

Port Moody isn't far from Global B.C.'s studio, which enhances Horgan's chance of making it onto the station's noon newscast. There will be plenty of time to edit any video from the event.

Then at noon, Horgan will be in Vancouver-Point Grey with NDP MLA David Eby, who defeated Clark in the 2013 election.

This provides an opportunity for Horgan to do a live interview on the noon newscast.

Horgan knows he needs to get on TV as often as possible to counter how he's being defined in negative ads funded by supporters of the B.C. Liberals.

But to show up on the airwaves before the writ is dropped, he's going to have to spend more time in the Lower Mainland, which is home to the province's largest broadcasting outlets.

The risk is that he won't be as available to the media in the seat-rich 250 area code.

This predicament faces the B.C. NDP just as it's facing a challenge on Vancouver Island from the B.C. Greens. They could siphon off enough antigovernment votes to help the B.C. Liberals in three-way races.

Meanwhile in the B.C. Interior, Horgan has to do far better than his predecessor did in places like Cariboo North, Cariboo-Chilcotin, the two Kamloops constituencies, and the Prince George area.

Horgan's best chance of winning is to make this election a referendum on whether the B.C. Liberals should be thrown out of office after 16 years in government.

That can be accomplished if the public gets the sense that the governing party is arrogant and self-serving, even corrupt and drunk with the spoils of power.

Hence the decision to visit Clark's former constituencies. It's an ideal way to show voters that she's been at the political trough for a very long time.

And if it gets Horgan some TV time, all the better.