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At its annual general meeting in Winnipeg on Sunday, the Green Party announced Janine G. Gibson as the winner of ranked ballot voting that took place online from March 13 to 26.
Gibson, an agriculture consultant, has run four times for the provincial legislature and the party says she plans to run again in La Verendrye in southeastern Manitoba.
Former leader James Beddome announced last year he was stepping down after leading the party for 13 years.
The party has never won a seat in the Manitoba legislature, but has increased its share of the popular vote in every provincial election under Beddome’s leadership, from 1 per cent the year before his first term to 6 per cent in 2019.
The party says Gibson has announced her intention to appoint her three leadership competitors to offices as deputy leaders and shadow ministers.
“I am excited and humbled at the confidence expressed in my leadership during these challenging times,” Gibson said in a news release. “I have much gratitude to James for his dedication and perseverance as a model for us all.”
The Green Party of Manitoba said turnout for the leadership election was 54 per cent.
In 2011, Beddome was the first Green leader invited to participate in televised debates.
He used the platform to advocate ideas, including a universal basic income to fight poverty, first to New Democrat Greg Selinger and then to Progressive Conservative Brian Pallister when they were premiers.
In 2013 after graduating from law school, Beddome was replaced on an interim basis. But he had a change of heart and ran for leadership again the following year and won.
The Greens came within 400 votes of winning a seat in the 2016 election.
The AGM also involved an election of a new council for the party, with Dennis Bayomi as president.
© 2023 The Canadian Press