VANCOUVER – Premier Christy Clark is leading the B.C. Liberals into what she hopes will be her second consecutive victory as party leader. Here is a brief sketch of the career politician:
Age: 51
Born: Oct. 29, 1965, in Burnaby, B.C.
Education: Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, the University of Edinburgh in Scotland and Universite de la Sorbonne in Paris.
Family: She is separated from ex-husband Mark Marissen, a former senior strategist for the Liberal Party of Canada. Her son, Hamish Marissen-Clark, is 15 years old. They have a female cat named Kevin.
Political career: Clark was first elected in 1996 and was named both deputy premier and education minister in 2001. She became premier in 2011.
Personal career: While on hiatus from politics, Clark hosted a radio talk show on CKNW between 2007 and 2010.
Riding: Westside-Kelowna
Idols: Former B.C. premier W.A.C. Bennett, actress Mary Tyler Moore and Abraham Lincoln
Quote: “I really regret that. Because I still want a cigarette every day. Every single day. It’s terrible.” — Clark on her decision to take up smoking at the age of 12. She quit 17 years later after turning 29.