COQUITLAM — Coquitlam residents could be losing two city councillors to provincial politics come springtime.

Coun. Selina Robinson locked up the NDP nomination in Coquitlam-Maillardville over the weekend, while fellow councillor Linda Reimer has decided to jump into the fray, announcing her intentions to run under the Liberal banner in Port Moody-Coquitlam.

Reimer, a two-time councillor, said she decided to run because she doesn’t want to see another NDP government elected.

"So I’m doing it out of a sense of duty," she told The NOW on Monday.

Reimer said she’s also running to ensure the economy continues to move forward, suggesting the Liberals put a lot of effort into stabilizing the economy after the recession of 2008.

The long-time Coquitlam resident finished third overall in the last civic election, collecting 9,093 votes.

Though Reimer lives in the constituency next door, she chose Port Moody-Coquitlam because she sees it as a winnable riding.

Though NDP MLA and former Port Moody mayor Joe Trasolini easily won the seat in last April’s byelection, she argued byelections tend not to represent the sentiment in a general election.

Reimer argued voters tend to vote along party lines in a provincial election rather than for a big name.

"The demographics in Port Moody support a BC Liberal government," Reimer said.

Prior to Trasolini’s victory, the Liberals won the riding in several successive elections.

Reimer is the first candidate to declare her intentions in the upcoming election for the Liberals in the Tri-Cities.

She said she expects to get the nomination unopposed, though no date for a nomination meeting has been set.

As for the potential she might have to step down midway through her term on council, Reimer said she only decided to put her name forward a couple of weeks ago after being approached by the party.

"It’s a very important and difficult decision to make," she said, adding she had every intention of finishing her term on council when she ran in 2011.

"It’s not an opportunity that comes up every day."

Meanwhile, Robinson was acclaimed as the NDP candidate in Coquitlam-Maillardville at a nomination meeting Sunday.

The two-time councillor replaces NDP MLA Diane Thorne, who is retiring at the end of her term.