The federal Conservative Party chose its new leader on Saturday, ending a long campaign, since Stephen Harper stepped down from the position.

Saskatchewan MP Andrew Scheer is the new leader, after narrowly winning over Maxime Bernier in the 13th ballot.

Dauphin-Swan River-Neepawa MP Robert Sopuck supported Erin O'Toole, but says he's happy with Scheer as the leader.

"I think he's the right person for the job," he says "And he'll definitely grow into the job. He's got a lot of experience in Parliament, and he's also a very likeable person, fluently bilingual, and he's got a good policy mind. So I'm feeling very good about the leadership election."

Sopuck calls Saturday's vote a nail-biter, but thinks the party's come out of it in good shape.

"(Party) membership is at a record level," he says, "A quarter of a million, plus. Our fundraising is going gangbusters -- we raised more than the Liberals and NDP combined, in the first quarter of this year. I think the party's in great shape, and we're really looking forward to the 2019 election."

Andrew Scheer (photo courtesy Parliament of Canada website)

While's Scheer's a Saskatchewan MP, Sopuck Sopuck thinks he'll have a broad appeal.

"People should realize that Andrew was born and raised in Ontario," he says, "In the Ottawa area. And when he met his to-be wife, she lived in Regina, and he moved there. But he understands Ontario very, very well, and eastern Canada, very well. He speaks fluent French, so I think he'll have good appeal right across the country."