Photo: Luc Rempel

Newly re-elected MP Mel Arnold with his wife Linda Arnold

Newly re-elected Conservative MP Mel Arnold, who will be returning to Ottawa for the fourth time, says he is looking forward to meeting more residents in his new riding after an "invigorating" campaign.

Arnold celebrated a convincing victory on Monday, taking more than 50 per cent of the vote and winning a Shuswap riding in four straight federal elections.

He was declared the winner of the new Kamloops-Shuswap-Central Rockies riding just before 9 p.m. Monday.

“The first election was, I think, a lot more nail biting for me, because I wasn't sure of what was to come and what to expect,” said Arnold, who gathered with supporters to watch the election results from his Salmon Arm campaign office.

“This one again has been invigorating because of the change in the boundaries.”

The new federal Kamloops-Shuswap-Central Rockies electoral district was created in 2022, and was in effect for the first time this election.

The expansive riding includes part of Kamloops and extends all the way to the Alberta border. It includes the cities of Salmon Arm, Revelstoke and Golden, as well as Enderby and Sicamous.

“Fifty per cent of the population is new to me. I had to get out and get my name known right all the way from Kamloops right through the Alberta border,” Arnold said.

"That work isn't over with. ...I've got to reach out to a lot of new people. I'm really looking forward to meeting with them."

He thanked his volunteers and their families for giving up their time to help him with his campaign.

“It's been an honour to be re-elected,” Arnold said. “I want to thank everyone in the riding for their support.”

Arnold also thanked the other candidates for running, referring to them as “really good people” whom he got to know over the course of the campaign.

“They wanted to serve their country as well," he said.

“It takes a lot of guts to put your name on a ballot. And especially a federal ballot, representing a riding this size."

Runner-up Ken Robertson, who ran for the Liberals, said despite losing his bid, he was happy to see his party's success.

“We have a Liberal leader, which is Mark Carney, who's going to be the next prime minister,” he said. “And yes, we are going to be forming government.”

Robertson secured about 37 per cent of the vote. He said he feels good about his campaign efforts overall.

“I feel I put in a great campaign trying to really make a difference in this community,” Robertson said, adding he felt Arnold had a solid base of support, but he felt he expanded the Liberal base as well.

“When it came to the new minted riding…it just shows that we can truly still have those progressive voters out there,” he added.

NDP candidate Phaedra Idzan received about 6 per cent of the vote. Green Party candidate Owen Madden got approximately 3 per cent and PPC candidate Michael Henry had around 1 per cent.