VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – If you look at some of the people Premier Christy Clark has convinced to run for her party in the upcoming election, you’d never know she was trailing in the polls.  Three big names have recently joined her slate of candidates over the last month.

First it was Suzanne Anton, a former Vancouver city councillor and mayoral candidate.  Then it was Darryl Plecas, a well-known criminologist who’ll be running in the riding of Abbotsford-South. Most recently, it was former Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan.

Political Science Professor Hamish Telford says it’s a little strange with the Liberals trailing the NDP by a large margin in most polls.  

“Perhaps not a surprise now as it would have been, say, three months ago when the Conservatives were looking like a viable option.”

He says the infighting in the Conservative Party is the best thing to happen to the Premier in a long time.

“Now that the Conservatives seem to have imploded and taken themselves out of contention, I think that gives the Liberals an advantage in terms of candidate recruitment.”

Telford says the Liberals still have a long way to go if they want to catch the NDP before election day in May of 2013.