Helena Konanz

Helena Konanz
MP
Helena Konanz MP
	Konanz in 2019
Member of Parliament; for Similkameen—South Okanagan—West Kootenay
	Incumbent
	Assumed office ; April 28, 2025
Preceded by	Richard Cannings
Penticton City Councillor
	In office; December 2011 – December 2019
	In office; December 2020 – May 2025
Personal details
Born	Helena Manset; February 1, 1961 (age 65); Santa Barbara, California
Party	Conservative Party of Canada
	Tennis career
Country (sports)	USA
Plays	Right-handed
Prize money	$26,589
Singles
Career record	26/37
Career titles	0
Highest ranking	No. 214 (December 21, 1986)
Doubles
Career record	17–27
Career titles	1
Highest ranking	No. 228 (August 3, 1987)
Grand Slam doubles results
French Open	1R (1984, 1985)
Wimbledon	1R (1984)
US Open	1R (1982, 1983, 1984)

Helena Konanz MP (née Manset; born February 1, 1961) is an American-born Canadian politician and former tennis player. She was elected Member of Parliament (MP) for Similkameen—South Okanagan—West Kootenay in the 2025 Canadian federal election for the Conservative Party of Canada.

College career

Manset attended the University of California, Los Angeles for her undergraduate degree, where she was a part of the UCLA Bruins women's tennis team, which won the 1981 AIAW National Championship. In 1982, Manset as well as her partner Kathy O'Brien were defeated in the finals of the NCAA Women's Doubles^[1] and in 1982 and 1983 she was named as an All-American. She graduated from UCLA in 1984 with a degree in political science.

Professional career

After being narrowly defeated in the NCAA Women's Doubles Finals Manset began to compete professionally. Manset had competed across the world including in the US Open and Wimbledon. She reached her peak in 1987 when she was ranked 228 overall in women's doubles. She retired from professional tennis on August 17, 1987 after 5 years as a pro player.

Political career

After she retired from tennis Manset began working for Nike which eventually lead to her moving to Canada to manage the first Sport Chek in British Columbia in 1992. After spending some time in the private sector, Manset (now Konanz) ran for the Penticton City Council and won with 3,737 votes.^[2] Konanz was re-elected in 2014.^[3]

In 2018, Konanz opted not to seek re-election and instead announced her candidacy for the Conservative Party of Canada for the 2019 Canadian federal election for the district of South Okanagan—West Kootenay. In September of the same year Konanz won the nomination and was formally announced as the riding's candidate by the Conservatives. In the election, held in October 2019, Konanz finished a close second to New Democratic Party incumbent Richard Cannings.^[4] In 2021, a rematch resulted in Cannings winning with an increased plurality.

In 2022 Konanz was once again elected to Penticton City Council.^[5] In the 2025 election she was elected the Member of Parliament for the newly created riding of Similkameen—South Okanagan—West Kootenay.^[6]

Personal life

Manset grew up in Santa Barbara, California and later married Adam Konanz, changing her name to Helena Konanz in 1995. The couple have two children.

ITF & WTA Tour finals

Doubles (1–2)

Result	Date	Tournament	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Win	Mar 1987	Fresno, CA, US	Hard	Lisa Seemann	Debbie Graham Cinda Gurney	6–3, 1–6, 7–6^(7–5)
Loss	Jul 1985	Schenectady, NY, US	Hard	Cecilia Fernandez-Parker	Linda Gates Lynn Lewis	6–7, 4–6
Loss	Oct 1983	Tokyo, Japan	Hard	Micki Schillig	Chris O’Neil Pam Whytcross	3–6, 5–7

Electoral record

v t e 2025 Canadian federal election: Similkameen—South Okanagan—West Kootenay
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%	Expenditures
	Conservative	Helena Konanz	30,054	44.06	+6.48	$135,344.76
	Liberal	Gloria Morgan	25,431	37.28	+24.05	$26,628.07
	New Democratic	Linda Sankey	11,033	16.17	–22.80	$109,240.38
	Green	Philip Mansfield	1,044	1.53	–1.82	$4,051.72
	People's	Barry Dewar	654	0.96	–5.91	$8,119.00
Total valid votes/expense limit	68,216	99.53	–	$149,672.34
Total rejected ballots	319	0.47	–0.18
Turnout	68,535	71.53	+6.47
Eligible voters	95,816
	Conservative notional gain from New Democratic	Swing	+14.64
Source: Elections Canada^[7]^[8]

v t e 2021 Canadian federal election: South Okanagan—West Kootenay
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%	Expenditures
	New Democratic	Richard Cannings	27,595	41.32	+4.94	$94,939.75
	Conservative	Helena Konanz	23,675	35.45	+0.24	$134,452.43
	Liberal	Ken Robertson	8,159	12.22	–4.95	$29,578.37
	People's	Sean Taylor	4,866	7.29	+4.88	none listed
	Green	Tara Howse	2,485	3.72	–4.60	$7,900.41
Total valid votes/expense limit	66,780	99.35	–	$137,054.79
Total rejected ballots	434	0.65	+0.09
Turnout	67,214	65.06	–3.74
Eligible voters	103,310
	New Democratic hold	Swing	+2.35
Source: Elections Canada^[9]^[10]

v t e 2019 Canadian federal election: South Okanagan—West Kootenay
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%	Expenditures
	New Democratic	Richard Cannings	24,809	36.38	–0.90	$108,764.07
	Conservative	Helena Konanz	24,013	35.21	+5.37	$71,097.96
	Liberal	Connie Denesiuk	11,705	17.16	–10.96	$60,146.11
	Green	Tara-Lyn Howse	5,672	8.32	+4.12	$10,551.96
	People's	Sean Taylor	1,638	2.40	–	$6,237.32
	Independent	Carolina Marie Hopkins	359	0.53	–	$77.17
Total valid votes/expense limit	68,196	99.44	–	$130,238.20
Total rejected ballots	381	0.56	+0.23
Turnout	68,577	68.80	–3.82
Eligible voters	99,676
	New Democratic hold	Swing	–3.14
Source: Elections Canada^[11]^[12]

References

↑ "2014 UCLA Women's Tennis Media Guide by UCLA Athletics". Issuu. April 9, 2014. Retrieved May 31, 2019.
↑ "2011 Civic Election Preliminary Results | City of Penticton". penticton.ca. Retrieved May 31, 2019.
↑ "2014 Election | City of Penticton". penticton.ca. Retrieved May 31, 2019.
↑ "Election Night Results". Elections Canada. Retrieved November 16, 2019.
↑ "CivicInfo BC: Election Results - 2022 - Municipality - Penticton (City)". www.civicinfo.bc.ca. Retrieved November 2, 2025.
↑ Staff, My Kootenay Now (April 29, 2025). "Similkameen-South Okanagan-West Kootenay winner". My Kootenay Now. Retrieved November 2, 2025.
↑ "Forty-Fifth General Election 2025 — Poll-by-poll Results: Similkameen—South Okanagan—West Kootenay". elections.ca. Elections Canada. 2025.
↑ Canada, Chief Electoral Officer (2025). "Candidate Campaign Returns, 2025 General Election: Part 3C – Summary of Electoral Campaign Expenses and Other Outflows – Election expenses subject to the limit – Total". elections.ca. Elections Canada. Expenses are reported "as amended" where amendments have been filed; otherwise, they are reported "as submitted".
↑ "Forty-Fourth General Election 2021 — Poll-by-poll Results: South Okanagan—West Kootenay". elections.ca. Elections Canada. 2021.
↑ Canada, Chief Electoral Officer (2021). "Candidate Campaign Returns, 2021 General Election: Part 3C – Summary of Electoral Campaign Expenses and Other Outflows – Election expenses subject to the limit – Total". elections.ca. Elections Canada. Expenses are reported "as amended" where amendments have been filed; otherwise, they are reported "as submitted".
↑ "Forty-Third General Election 2019 — Poll-by-poll Results: South Okanagan—West Kootenay". elections.ca. Elections Canada. 2019.
↑ Canada, Chief Electoral Officer (2019). "Candidate Campaign Returns, 2019 General Election: Part 3C – Summary of Electoral Campaign Expenses and Other Outflows – Election expenses subject to the limit – Total". elections.ca. Elections Canada. Expenses are reported "as amended" where amendments have been filed; otherwise, they are reported "as submitted".

External links

Helena Konanz at World Tennis

[issuu-1] "2014 UCLA Women's Tennis Media Guide by UCLA Athletics". Issuu. April 9, 2014. Retrieved May 31, 2019.

[penticton-2] "2011 Civic Election Preliminary Results | City of Penticton". penticton.ca. Retrieved May 31, 2019.

[penticton2-3] "2014 Election | City of Penticton". penticton.ca. Retrieved May 31, 2019.

[4] "Election Night Results". Elections Canada. Retrieved November 16, 2019.

[5] "CivicInfo BC: Election Results - 2022 - Municipality - Penticton (City)". www.civicinfo.bc.ca. Retrieved November 2, 2025.

[6] Staff, My Kootenay Now (April 29, 2025). "Similkameen-South Okanagan-West Kootenay winner". My Kootenay Now. Retrieved November 2, 2025.

[7] "Forty-Fifth General Election 2025 — Poll-by-poll Results: Similkameen—South Okanagan—West Kootenay". elections.ca. Elections Canada. 2025.

[8] Canada, Chief Electoral Officer (2025). "Candidate Campaign Returns, 2025 General Election: Part 3C – Summary of Electoral Campaign Expenses and Other Outflows – Election expenses subject to the limit – Total". elections.ca. Elections Canada. Expenses are reported "as amended" where amendments have been filed; otherwise, they are reported "as submitted".

[9] "Forty-Fourth General Election 2021 — Poll-by-poll Results: South Okanagan—West Kootenay". elections.ca. Elections Canada. 2021.

[10] Canada, Chief Electoral Officer (2021). "Candidate Campaign Returns, 2021 General Election: Part 3C – Summary of Electoral Campaign Expenses and Other Outflows – Election expenses subject to the limit – Total". elections.ca. Elections Canada. Expenses are reported "as amended" where amendments have been filed; otherwise, they are reported "as submitted".

[11] "Forty-Third General Election 2019 — Poll-by-poll Results: South Okanagan—West Kootenay". elections.ca. Elections Canada. 2019.

[12] Canada, Chief Electoral Officer (2019). "Candidate Campaign Returns, 2019 General Election: Part 3C – Summary of Electoral Campaign Expenses and Other Outflows – Election expenses subject to the limit – Total". elections.ca. Elections Canada. Expenses are reported "as amended" where amendments have been filed; otherwise, they are reported "as submitted".

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