Christy Clark is officially premier of B.C., but she still faces an uphill battle as she looks ahead to a by-election necessary to become a sitting MLA.
Former premier Gordon Campbell has indicated that he's ready to step away from the Vancouver-Point Grey riding he's held for 15 years to make way for his successor, and Clark says she's considering a run there.
But being elected by Point Grey voters might not be easy. A sitting B.C. government has not won a by-election in 30 years, when Claude Richmond won his Kamloops riding for the Social Credit Party.
On the streets of Point Grey, some voters say they would be hesitant to vote for Clark.
"It's not going to be changing the guard. It's going to be reinstituting the old guard in a dress," one man told CTV News.
The opposition NDP have not yet chosen a by-election candidate for the riding, but University of Victoria political scientist Dennis Pilon says the party will likely bring out the big guns.
"To take down the new premier would be a pretty devastating blow to the Liberal government and a shot in the arm for the NDP, so they're going to make the most of it," he said.
"If people are really fed up with the Liberals or really angry with them, then it's possible that she'll suffer for that as well."
Interim NDP leader Dawn Black says the Clark will have to fight to win voters' confidence.
"I think the issue for B.C. voters is trust. They've had a government in place for 10 years that's deceived them on a number of issues, on the HST certainly," she said.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Jim Beatty
