Born and raised in rural Grand Forks, Roly Russell is a father of two who is passionate about lowering costs for families, strengthening agriculture and food security, and building an economy that works for everyone in rural BC.

As a local leader, he worked tirelessly to help people in need and coordinate disaster recovery during the devastating floods in Grand Forks in 2018. He stepped up again to help communities with disaster recovery following the atmospheric rivers in 2021. He has served as a tireless advocate for rural communities across BC, working across ministries to help deliver solutions that work for rural people.