Cynthia Kearns, a self-proclaimed feminist, has thrown her hat into the ring as a candidate for the nomination of the Yukon Party.

Kearns hopes that in the upcoming nomination meeting she will become the one to represent the party in the riding of Copperbelt in the pending byelection.

Kearns, 54, has lived in the Yukon for most of her life. Originally from Watson Lake, she moved to Porter Creek with her husband Doug, who works in the Department of Economic Development, about 10 years ago.

Her husband, family and friends have been 'extremely' supportive of her decision to seek the party's nomination, she told the Star this morning.

Kearns decided about a week ago she would seek the nomination in the contested riding, however, she only announced her intentions yesterday.

'I was lining up my ducks,' she said.

Kearns, who is a volunteer director at the Victoria Faulkner Women's Centre, said she believes the Yukon Party needs another strong woman's voice in the legislature.

'The Yukon Party has been highly supportive of women's issues,' she said.

The Yukon Party's support of women is one of the key issues she hopes to bring to the attention of constituents if she is selected to run as a candidate, she said.

Kearns lives in Porter Creek and she has not yet been out in the riding of Copperbelt to hear the concerns of the constituents. However, she fully intends to knock on doors prior to the nomination meeting.

'I'm going to find out what the constituents feel is important,' she said.

Kearns said she is committed to getting to the bottom of what the supposed source of anger is among Yukoners towards the Yukon Party.

Though she hasn't been directly in the riding, she said she has been talking to people and she hasn't experienced the kind of animosity towards the Yukon Party that the opposition parties have been suggesting.

'I just don't feel it,' she said.

If she is selected to run as the party's candidate, she said she plans to focus on the 'good news.'

'There's a lot of good news there,' she said. '(Copperbelt residents) have been well represented (by the Yukon Party) and that's very good news.'

Kearns has been involved with the Yukon Party in the past, helping on the campaigns of Porter Creek Centre MLA Archie Lang.

She feels that listening to what the residents of Copperbelt want and calming their concerns, while presenting what the Yukon Party government has done for them and can do in the future, will be key in winning the riding.

She declined to comment on the issues her campaign will revolve around, stating that even though she has concerns she feels are important and ideas on what she will be presenting to Yukon Party members on nomination night, she wants to hear more from the residents of Copperbelt first.

'I really want to talk to the people,' she said.

Darrell Peters, president of the Yukon Party, said that a nomination meeting will likely be held sometime this week. However, the date has not yet been announced.

The premier has up to 180 days to call a byelection after a seat in the legislature has become vacant.

He previously said that a byelection would be called in the 'immediate future', following the resignation of Independent MLA Haakon Arntzen. However, a date has not yet been set.

Elections are traditionally called on a Friday with the polling occurring 31 days later on a Monday.