Conservative incumbent Cathy McLeod celebrates her re-election in Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo with supporters at her campaign office in Kamloops on election night, Monday, Oct. 21, 2019.
(JENNA WHEELER / iNFOnews.ca)
October 21, 2019 - 8:28 PM
Conservative Cathy McLeod has won again in the Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo riding, which will mark her fourth term as the local Member of Parliament.
With 220 of 283 polls reporting at press time, McLeod was ahead with 42.7 per cent of the vote compared to Terry Lake for the Liberals with 28.2 per cent.
"The absolute best was when we won the 2011 (election)... not only did we win locally but we won a national majority government that was very, very exciting," McLeod told her supporters and gathered media at her campaign office in Kamloops.
"It can be bittersweet also at times. In the last election it was bittersweet, we won locally but of course, we lost government. Every campaign is different and tonight what we really have to do is reflect on the message is the public is giving us."
338Canada, an online statistical model of electoral projections, reported McLeod had an 89 per cent chance of winning in the riding as of election day morning.
McLeod, who was a nurse before entering politics, beat opponents Terry Lake of the Liberal party, Cynthia Egli of the NDP, Iain Currie of the Green party, as well as Peter Kerek from the Communist Party of Canada and Kira Cheeseboroguh of the Animal Protection Party.
An emotional Terry Lake, the Liberal candidate for Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo, gives his concession speech to supporters after losing to incumbent Conservative Cathy McLeod, Monday, Oct. 21, 2019.
(KAREN EDWARDS / iNFOnews.ca)
Lake was emotional and "disappointed" with the results but says McLeod is a good person who has voters' interests in mind.
"I know she's capable of doing that and I wish her all the best," Lake said.
Lake served as a former MLA and provincial minister and retired from politics in 2017. When asked if this would be the end of politics for Lake, he said he wasn't sure.
"You never know what the future holds," he says. "I love Kamloops, I love this region and I am glad I made this decision even though I am disappointed with the results."
McLeod first became MP in 2008 and became the second female Conservative MP after Betty Hinton took on the role in 2000. Before the Conservative wave of blue, the riding had seen NDP leadership for 20 years.
McLeod has worked as the parliamentary secretary for cabinet ministers such as the Minister of Health, the Minister of National Revenue and the Minister of Labour and Western Economic Diversification, according to her webpage. She also worked in municipal governments as the mayor of Pemberton and director of the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District.
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