Jenn McGinn (born in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island) is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, representing the electoral district of Vancouver-Fairview, in a by-election on October 29, 2008. She is the first openly lesbian MLA to serve in the British Columbian Legislature. A member of the British Columbia New Democratic Party, her candidacy was endorsed in a Georgia Straight editorial.[1]

Jenn McGinn
Member of the British Columbia Legislative Assembly
for Vancouver-Fairview
In office
October 29, 2008 – May 12, 2009
Preceded byGregor Robertson
Succeeded byMargaret MacDiarmid
Personal details
BornCharlottetown, Prince Edward Island
NationalityCanadian
Political partyBritish Columbia New Democratic Party
Occupationaccount manager

McGinn is an account manager with the community business banking team of Vancity Savings Credit Union. She is a former vice-president of Little Mountain Neighbourhood House and past executive director of the South Granville Seniors Centre. She was also the director of development for the Surrey Women's Centre. McGinn first became involved in politics as a high school student in Charlottetown in the late 1980s. She was 17 when she joined the party, and soon became president of the P.E.I. Young New Democrats.[2]

After the 2008 by-election the provincial constituency of Vancouver-Fairview was redistributed by Elections BC as part of a larger provincewide redistribution. She was defeated by BC Liberal candidate Margaret MacDiarmid in the 2009 provincial election.

Electoral record

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By-election, October 29, 2008: Vancouver-Fairview
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
  NDP Jenn McGinn 5,487 46.66
Liberal Margaret MacDiarmid 4,779 40.64
Green Jane Sterk 856 7.28
Conservative Wilf Hanni 483 4.11
Marijuana Jodie Emery 155 1.32
2009 British Columbia general election: Vancouver-Fairview
Party Candidate Votes % Expenditures
Liberal Margaret MacDiarmid 11,034 47.09 $144,364
New Democratic Jenn McGinn 9,881 42.17 $106,859
Green Vanessa Violini 2,232 9.52 $749
Independent Graham Clark 165 0.70 $250
Reform Norris Matthew Barens 85 0.36 $250
Refederation Alex Frei 37 0.16 $260
Source: [1]

References

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  1. ^ "NDP's Spencer Herbert and Jenn McGinn easy choices in Vancouver by-elections", Georgia Straight, October 23, 2008.
  2. ^ "McGinn switches coasts to win for NDP". CBC News. November 3, 2008. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
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