Katrine Conroy said she has been declared the victor in the Kootenay West riding.
At just under 60% of the vote share with 8,235 votes in the initial count, the remaining 4,111 mail-in ballots will do little to stem the apparent tide of her support.
“It was just a real honour actually,” said Conroy. “[Running against] five candidates, you just never know. But it’s still quite humbling.”
Conroy also thanked her team, noting its vital role in her success in winning her fifth election since winning in 2005. Of course, Conroy herself is apart of the BC NDP as a whole, who won a majority government in the 2020 B.C election.
“Well, pretty amazing, these results, it was really rewarding. People are not only really happy with our response to the pandemic, but they are happy with the work we did prior to the pandemic.”
Even before it was named “Kootenay West,” the riding had a different footprint when her late husband, Ed Conroy, came to power and held the region from 1991 to 2001.
“My husband did it for 10 years and did an excellent job. I learned from him how to be a good constituency MLA,” said Conroy. “I carry on doing that, and that’s one of the reasons I get elected.”
Though MLA’s are not sworn in immediately after an election, the Executive Council of the B.C. Government persists.
“Tomorrow I’m back to work as a Cabinet Minister,” said Conroy. “We’ll see what happens. We serve at the pleasure of the Premier. So we’ll wait and see if I stay in this Ministry and I hope to. I like the ministry, I like the work I’m doing and I like the people that I’m working with.”
Conroy currently serves as the Minister for Children and Family Affairs as well as all matters Columbia Basin related including the Columbia River Treaty and the Columbia Basin Trust.
“Right now is really critical and needs a person from the region leading that one forward,” Conroy added. “I really hope to continue doing hat moving forward.”
MORE: 2020 B.C. Election – Voting Results