Summary: A riding that has been held by the Conservatives since 2000, Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo is a mix of urban and rural areas. Incumbent MP Cathy McLeod is seeking a third term.
Boundaries: The riding includes all of Kamloops and the surrounding suburban-rural areas. It also includes the towns on Highway 97 roughly between Clinton and Lac la Hache, and those along Highway 5 until just south of Valemount.
Last Election: Conservative MP Cathy McLeod was re-elected here by 15.3 per cent over NDP candidate Michael Crawford.
History: Former NDP MP Nelson Riis held the Kamloops riding between 1980 and 2000, but since then it has gone to the Alliance/Conservative parties.
Provincially, the two Kamloops seats have typically been bellwether ridings, supporting the winning party (with one exception) for 60+ years.
Demographics: The riding’s population of 118,618 was the second highest in B.C. in the 2011 census. 89 per cent cite English as their primary language, with only 1 per cent speaking French.
Candidates
Conservative: Cathy McLeod, MP since 2008
NDP: Bill Sundhu, a former provincial court judge
Liberal: Steve Powrie, a musician and teacher in Kamloops
Green: Matt Greenwood, employee with the ASK Wellness Society
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