[4] Putting in shifts at the group home while struggling to find affordable childcare is what led her to the New Democratic Party.

[4] When she spoke to a group of New Democrats to explain how government cuts to child-care funding affected the general population, they encouraged her to stand as a candidate.

[4] As the sole breadwinner for her family, it was a difficult decision to make since it would mean giving up her steady wage to campaign.

[4] It meant burning up her holiday time and taking unpaid leaves all with no guarantee of a payoff.

[4] Her first campaign, in the 2009 election, had limited budget as the NDP preferred not to invest heavily in a riding they had no expectation of winning.

[4] On April 19, she won the difficult by-election which meant a packed campaign party where she was toasted with champagne and was asked to get ready for media interviews starting at 6 a.m. the following day.

[5] On April 3, 2024, O'Mahony was unveiled as the BC Conservative candidate for Nanaimo-Lantzville in the 2024 British Columbia general election.