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This article was published 10/09/2019 (1364 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Adrien Sala is the new MLA for St. James.

In a very tight race, the NDP candidate came out on top with 2,777 votes, defeating Progressive Conservative Michelle Richard (1,886 votes), with 33 out of 41 polls reporting. The two parties battled it out all night, with the the PCs taking an early lead as votes were counted. But Sala pulled ahead in the end.

Sala said he’s raring to get to work.

“I’m extremely excited that the folks here in St. James entrusted me with going to the legislature to represent them,” Sala said inside his campaign office. “Thank you so much for your trust. I look forward to fighting for Manitobans every single day when I’m in that building.”

Sala brings years of community work to the position. Before his current job at Assiniboine Credit Union, he worked with the provincial Housing and Community Development department. There, he worked to improve the quality of social and affordable housing programming. He also spent eight years working with community programs focused on helping marginalized youth find work.

Sala said his team was fairly confident that residents were concerned about health care and education cuts.

“People in St. James are worried about the health care system, they’re worried about cuts to education,” Sala said. “I think at the end of the day the results of the night prove they’re ready to send an NDP member to the (Manitoba legislature.)”

St. James was previously held by PC Scott Johnston, who was elected as MLA of St. James in the 2016 election. Johnston moved on to the Assiniboia riding for this election, where he was elected with 42.7 per cent of the vote, according to unofficial results.