It didn't take long for the likely Vision Vancouver mayoral candidate to try to define the NPA standard-bearer.

Shortly after businessman Ken Sim was nominated as the NPA's mayoral candidate tonight, Vision's Ian Campbell released a damning statement about Vancouver's oldest civic party.

"Ken Sim may not be well known in this city, but as the Non-Partisan Association’s mayoralty candidate he still represents more of the same old Non-Partisan Association—a party whose divisions are so deep it has already lost a sitting NPA Vancouver city councillor while demonstrating that it has no new ideas or energy," Campbell said in a news release.

Ironically, the man who came second in the NPA vote, park commissioner John Coupar, had promised that he wouldn't govern by press release. That was a swipe at Mayor Gregor Robertson's propensity for issuing media statements to attract news coverage.

Campbell, a hereditary chief with the Squamish Nation, also described the NPA as a "bitter and split party" in his statement.

"Vancouver voters are looking for a new, hopeful vision and bold new leadership to meet the challenges of our beloved city," Campbell said. "That’s why I am running to be the Vision Vancouver mayoral candidate—to offer new energy and new ideas, through my two decades of experience working effectively with all levels of government while serving the community to affect change and improve people’s lives.

"We need a new vision on how to deal with housing affordability and homelessness, to improve our strong economy, to address the opioid crisis, to make our city safer and more inclusive, to fight for better transit and transportation and to keep working to ensure Vancouver has a healthier and cleaner environment."

Sim won the NPA nomination handily over Coupar and Dunbar resident Glen Chernen. 

In his speech before the ballots were counted, Sim claimed that city hall is "being run very inefficiently".

"And we got into this mess because city hall is being run based on ideology," Sim alleged. "That's not right."