Angelique Wood was acclaimed last week in Summerland to represent the NDP in this year’s federal election. A resident of Hedley, she’s running in the new riding of Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola.

Voters in the Okanagan and Similkameen have to get their heads around the new boundaries. When Alex Atamanenko retires after three terms as NDP MP for Southern Interior this year, the riding will be split in two.

“Following the footsteps of Alex Atamanenko is not an easy task, but together I am confident we can continue his legacy of truly making a difference,” Wood said.

Half of the Southern Interior riding has been added to the new constituency, and the other half joins the West Kootenay. Conservative MP Dan Albas, who has represented Okanagan-Coquihalla for a term, is now considered the incumbent for Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola.

“I have a challenge,” Wood said. “I’ve been watching the world go in a direction I don’t like, and I want to see it changed.”

Wood, 44, recently served a three-year term as a director for the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen. She ran again last fall but lost by 32 votes.