Now in the past

"It was at this point that he hit a bump in the road that irrevocably changed the course of his stellar political career. The Conservatives, led by his friend John Major, won the election, but Patten lost his seat. Even now, he was not short of options. He could easily have been wafted back into the cabinet via either a byelection in a safe seat (Kensington and Chelsea was mentioned) or elevation to the Lords. But there was another intriguing possibility – the governorship of Hong Kong. That is what he chose." (The Guardian.)

Is "now" the in-the-past one in the context above?