Carole James

Background

James was born in Dukinfield, Cheshire, England, and raised in North Battleford, Saskatchewan, and in Victoria, British Columbia. After graduating from high school, James and her first husband worked in institutions for the developmentally disabled in Alberta and British Columbia. As a mother of young children, Alison and Evan, she became involved in a parents' group in Victoria, which led to her first foray into politics. James self-identifies as part Métis, and in 2004 married her long-time partner, Albert Gerow, a First Nations artist and former Burns Lake municipal councillor and Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer. Gerow was the chief of the Burns lake Band in Burns Lake.

James has been a foster parent for over twenty years.

On July 13, 2006, James announced publicly that she had been diagnosed with localized uterine endometrial cancer. She underwent surgery and radiation treatment and her prognosis is considered to be excellent.

Early career

James served on the Greater Victoria School Board from 1990 to 2001, including seven terms as chair, and gained a province-wide profile in her unprecedented five terms as president of the BC School Trustees Association. She also served at the national level as vice-president of the Canadian School Boards Association. From 1999 to 2001, James held the position of director of child care policy for the British Columbia government. In addition, she served on several local and provincial panels and committees.

In 2001, James ran unsuccessfully for the NDP in the riding of Victoria-Beacon Hill only losing by 35 Votes to BC Liberal candidate Jeff Bray. She subsequently moved to Prince George, British Columbia to serve as the director of child and family services for Carrier Sekani Family Services, and later as co-ordinator of the Northern Aboriginal Authority for Families.

Leader of the Opposition

James was elected leader of the provincial NDP on November 23, 2003. At the time of her election the party was suffering low morale in the wake of the 2001 provincial election, which had reduced the NDP to only two seats in the Legislative Assembly. During her campaign to win the party leadership, James pledged to modernize the NDP's ideology and internal structures and build a broader base of support for the party, a move which alienated some traditional supporters.

During the 2005 provincial election, James campaigned heavily on her name and image. On election night James and the NDP surprised many supporters and critics alike with a very strong electoral showing; the party winning 41.52% of the popular vote (a 19.96% increase from the 2001 election result) and 33 out of 79 seats in the Legislative Assembly. James won her seat in the riding of Victoria-Beacon Hill with 57.01% of the vote, defeating the incumbent B.C. Liberal MLA Jeff Bray by an almost 2-1 margin. She was re-elected in 2009 and 2013.

Leadership controversy and resignation

On December 1, 2010, Jenny Kwan, a prominent party member, released a statement to the media criticizing James' leadership of the New Democratic Party, and calling for an immediate leadership convention. In response to Kwan's statement, James called an emergency caucus session to address opposition to her continued leadership. While the session was meant to take place on December 5, it was later postponed so that private discussions could take place with a group of thirteen caucus members opposed to James' continued leadership.

On short notice on December 6, James announced she would resign the party's leadership. She continued in the position, however, until Dawn Black was chosen to act as Interim Leader.