Could 2008 finally be Martha Hall Findlay's year?
The southern Ontario lawyer and businesswoman faced a few setbacks since she made her political debut four years ago, when she was an unknown on the Liberal campaign trail.
She turned heads when, at the last minute, she was parachuted in to challenge star Conservative candidate Belinda Stronach in the Ontario riding of Newmarket-Aurora – and lost by only 689 votes. Hoping to defeat Stronach in the next election, Hall Findlay moved her home to the riding and worked on her strategy.
But in May 2005, Stronach crossed the floor and became a Liberal.
Foiled again.
Hall Findlay tried once more in 2006, but the Liberals wouldn't offer her a riding.
So what would any newbie politico do? She did what her nemesis Stronach did three years earlier: she took a stab at party leadership.
It was a gutsy move. And many of her friends tried to talk her out of it. But Hall Findlay has always been an achiever. She skipped three grades in high school, graduating at age 15. Two years later she won a silver medal at the Canadian Ski Championships.
The Liberal leadership bid was a long shot, and she finished last. But she threw her support to Stephane Dion, a move that has served her well.
Dion appointed her Liberal Platform Outreach Chair. Then, two years later, he appointed her candidate for Willowdale, which she easily won in a by-election last March.
Hall Findlay served as Associate Finance Critic but hasn't made any huge waves in Parliament so far. She successfully navigated past a few bumps in the road on her way to the House of Commons. But now that she's made it, the next test will be to see how well she performs as MP.