SYDNEY, N.S. — A municipal councillor has indicated her desire to run for the New Democratic Party in a byelection expected to be held in the provincial electoral district of Cape Breton Centre.
On Tuesday, the NDP announced that Kendra Coombes, who represents New Waterford and area on the Cape Breton Regional Municipality council, will be nominated to contest the riding that will soon be vacated by New Democrat MLA Tammy Martin, who was elected to the Nova Scotia legislature in the last provincial election held on May 30, 2017.
Martin announced her resignation last month due to health issues and will officially leave the office on Thursday, the same day that Coombes will be nominated at a party meeting to be held at the Italian Community Hall in Dominion.
The 31-year-old Coombes, who was elected to municipal council in the 2016 election, said that while she’s long considered a foray into provincial politics, the move was not in her immediate plans.
“I wasn’t planning on entering provincial politics for many years, but when Tammy Martin resigned for health reasons it just kind of came up and people were encouraging me to do it,” explained Coombes.
“I love municipal politics so I had to think about it for a long, long time – I was torn, I was conflicted, because I love my seat here, I love council and I love what we do here.”
Premier Stephen McNeil has yet to announce a date for a byelection for the soon-to-be vacant Cape Breton Centre seat.
Martin garnered 44 per cent of the riding’s vote in the 2017 provincial election when she defeated Liberal incumbent Dave Wilton, who had won a 2015 byelection over Martin after longtime NDP MLA Frank Corbett resigned after 17 years.