Rana Bokhari elected as new leader of Manitoba Liberal Party

WINNIPEG — The Manitoba Liberals have voted in Winnipeg lawyer Rana Bokhari as their new leader.

The 35-year-old was elected Saturday afternoon during the party’s leadership convention at the Fort Garry Hotel.

“Right now we have two years to focus and rebuild,” said Bokhari.

A total of 857 votes were cast. Bokhari beat out Dougald Lamont and Bob Axworthy with a total of 431 votes in her favour.

Bokhari is the first visible-minority party leader in Manitoba history and only the second woman to lead the Grits.

The Liberals have only held one seat in the provincial legislature for years.

Bokhari has promised to change that status before the next provincial election.

“My focus is on going forward, getting the memberships and getting people more engaged, engaging the youth, engaging the old, engaging those people who have just been disengaged,” she said. “That’s work for the campaign and I’m going to continue doing what I’m doing and I hope that should be enough.”

The Liberals had only 700 members a year ago, but Bokhari brought in more than 600 new members during the campaign.