# Brenda Bailey

Brenda Bailey (born 1966 or 1967) is a Canadian businesswoman and politician who currently serves as a member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) of British Columbia, representing the electoral district of Vancouver-False Creek from 2020 to 2024, and Vancouver-South Granville since 2024. A member of the British Columbia New Democratic Party, she has been a cabinet minister under Premier David Eby since 2022, currently serving as Minister of Finance of British Columbia.

## Biography

Born and raised in Nanaimo, Bailey graduated from McGill University in 1990 with a bachelor of arts degree in political science and international relations, and holds a degree in social work from University of Victoria. She had worked in the non-profit sector, including as regional manager for the Canadian Cancer Society, prior to entering the video game industry. She co-founded the Vancouver-based game developer Deep Fried Entertainment in 2005, serving as chief operating officer. In 2010 she co-founded Silicon Sisters, the first Canadian video game studio founded by women to create high quality games for women and girls, and served as chief executive officer (CEO). She also co-founded Women in Games Vancouver to support more women entering the sector.
Bailey had served as the executive director of Big Sisters of BC Lower Mainland, before being named executive director of DigiBC, the Interactive and Digital Media Industry Association of British Columbia in February 2018.
She was elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia for the riding of Vancouver-False Creek in the 2020 election, defeating the incumbent BC Liberal candidate and former Vancouver mayor Sam Sullivan. She was named Parliamentary Secretary for Technology and Innovation by Premier John Horgan on November 26, 2020. She was then appointed Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation by Premier David Eby on December 7, 2022.
With the False Creek riding dissolved and redistributed ahead of the 2024 provincial election, she ran in the newly established riding of Vancouver-South Granville, where she was re-elected MLA. She was subsequently named Minister of Finance in November 2024.
Bailey was married to environmental economist Basil Stumborg, with whom she has three children, and to Steamworks Brewing Company CEO Eli Gershkovitch. Her current spouse is Bijan Sanii, CEO of BC fintech company INETCO.

## Electoral record

vte2024 British Columbia general election: Vancouver-South Granville :
| ** Preliminary results — Not yet official ** |||||||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures |
| | New Democratic | Brenda Bailey | 16,390 | 64.04 | +6.7 |
| | Conservative | Aron Lageri | 6,461 | 25.24 | +24.7 |
| | Green | Adam Hawk | 2,744 | 10.72 | -5.9 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 26,758 | – |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | |
| Registered voters | Registered voters | Registered voters | |
| Source: Elections BC |||||||
| | New Democratic hold | New Democratic hold | Swing | Swing | -9.0 |
vte2020 British Columbia general election: Vancouver-False Creek :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures |
| | New Democratic | Brenda Bailey | 11,484 | 46.77 | +6.30 | $47,212.32 |
| | Liberal | Sam Sullivan | 9,217 | 37.54 | −4.62 | $85,582.35 |
| | Green | Maayan Kreitzman | 3,108 | 12.66 | −3.11 | $9,079.62 |
| | Conservative | Erik Gretland | 465 | 1.89 | – | $1,126.02 |
| | Libertarian | Naomi Chocyk | 280 | 1.14 | +0.27 | $0.00 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 24,554 | 100.00 | – |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 201 | 0.81 | +0.08 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 24,755 | 51.06 | −4.62 |
| Registered voters | Registered voters | Registered voters | 48,482 |
| | New Democratic gain from Liberal | New Democratic gain from Liberal | Swing | Swing | +5.46 |
| Source: Elections BC |||||||