Obby Khan wins Progressive Conservative nomination for Manitoba byelection

The Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba has officially nominated former Winnipeg Blue Bomber Obby Khan as the candidate it hopes will help the party hold on to one of its legislature seats in an upcoming byelection.

"Wow, it's like I won the Grey Cup — finally," Khan said after hearing the results of the Tory nomination vote at an event live streamed on the party's Facebook page Saturday evening.

The seat for the Fort Whyte riding has been empty since former premier Brian Pallister resigned as a member of the legislative assembly in October.

Khan, who also owns six restaurants, announced his intention to seek the party's nomination to run in the riding last month. He beat out two other candidates for the spot.

Melanie Maher, a longtime Tory supporter who ran under the Conservative banner in Winnipeg South in last year's federal election, and Navroop Warriach, a Winnipeg optometrist, had both thrown their hats in the ring.

While a date has not yet been set for the byelection, provincial law says it has to be held before the end of March.

Khan will be up against Opposition NDP nominee Trudy Schroeder, a former director of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, and Liberal nominee Willard Reaves, another former Winnipeg Blue Bomber.

"My god, I thought playing football was hard. This was a painful, long, long journey, and we're just starting," Khan said during a short speech on Saturday.

"I am so honoured to be part of this blue family, to be moving the PC party forward. It is one of the greatest honours of my life."

The Fort Whyte seat is considered a Tory stronghold, where the party has traditionally captured more than half of the vote and held the seat even when they were in opposition.

But the byelection comes as the governing party is lagging behind the NDP in opinion polls, particularly in Winnipeg.