Gary Burrill wants to make Halifax Chebucto orange again.

The leader of Nova Scotia's NDP confirmed in a message to party members on Tuesday that he would seek the nomination to run for the party in that district in the next election.

A district with orange history

During an interview with reporters Burrill said he made his decision largely based on his party's history with the district.

Halifax Chebucto is a longtime stronghold for the NDP. Howard Epstein, Burrill's policy advisor, held the district for 15 years before his retirement in 2013. It's also the district former party leader Alexa McDonough represented when she was an MLA. McDonough also offered initially as a leader without a seat.

"This is a long and strong association that the people of this part of Halifax have had with the New Democratic Party, and it seems to me fitting as our leader to offer myself for the nomination in Chebucto."

Plans to move

Liberal MLA Joachim Stroink captured the district in 2013 as part of the Liberal Party's majority victory, the same year Burrill was defeated in his quest to hold his seat in Colchester-Musquodoboit Valley.

Burrill said his party, like the others, is ramping up the nomination process and soon he'll be knocking on doors. While he's been splitting his time between Halifax and the Musquodoboit area since becoming leader, Burrill said it's his intention to move to his district of choice full time.

He said he was encouraged by the electoral district association for Chebucto to seek the nomination there. The ability to campaign in the Halifax area for himself will also be helpful when it comes to visiting other districts, too, said Burrill.

Targeting Liberal record

Burrill says constituents in Halifax Chebucto have not been well served by the Liberals. He references changes to the film tax credit and the impact of the government's stand on labour negotiations for health-care workers in the area.

"I think that the people of Chebucto have been as negatively impacted by the poor decisions of the present administration as people anywhere in the province."

An interesting race

While Burrill must go through the nomination process on July 26, it's highly unlikely it will be contested.

That will set up what promises to be one of the more interesting — and likely close — races whenever the election is called, with Stroink reoffering and filmmaker John Wesley Chisholm running for the Progressive Conservatives.