Jennifer Flett, a former vice-chief of the Opaskwayak Cree Nation, has easily won the provincial by-election for The Pas-Kameesak riding in northern Manitoba. She captured 2,635 votes, or about 75 percent of all ballots cast, on July 21, 2026, keeping the seat with the NDP.
Flett’s victory fills the vacancy left by the late Amanda Lathlin, who died in March at age 49. Lathlin was the first First Nations woman elected to Manitoba’s legislature. She had held the riding since 2015, continuing a legacy started by her father, former NDP cabinet minister Oscar Lathlin.
Flett has deep roots in the area. She grew up in Opaskwayak Cree Nation, earned a psychology degree from the University of Manitoba in 1996, and then spent 20 years with the Correctional Service of Canada. She later served as a councillor and the first elected vice-chief of the Opaskwayak Cree Nation from 2016 to 2021. Both of her parents are survivors of the residential school system.
Premier Wab Kinew quickly welcomed Flett to the NDP caucus, praising her background. “We welcome you to our team as MLA-elect and continue working to make life better for Manitobans,” Kinew said in a statement on social media.
Flett said she will focus on health care, infrastructure, and education. She also wants to build on the work of her predecessor. “I want to ensure that they know I’m going to work for them,” she said.
The NDP has held The Pas-Kameesak, previously called The Pas, since 1969. This time, voter turnout was about 36 percent, with 3,547 of 9,776 registered voters casting ballots. It was higher than the 21 percent turnout in the 2015 by-election but lower than the 53 percent in the 2023 provincial election.
Progressive Conservative candidate Edna Nabess received 616 votes, or about 17 percent. Liberal Dan Quesnel won 165 votes, and Wally Daudrich of the Keystone Party got 105 votes.
The riding stretches from The Pas and Opaskwayak Cree Nation south through the Interlake region to Peguis First Nation, covering communities like Cormorant, Grand Rapids, and Easterville. Flett’s campaign website is at jenniferflett.ca.
