Predictions of a razor-close finish proved true Saturday, as David Eby and the NDP and John Rustad’s Conservatives battled to the wire in the British Columbia election.
The results proved as wild as the weather that slammed much of the province on Election Day, with the NDP and Conservatives each taking the lead various times throughout the night.
About 90 minutes after the polls closed, the NDP was elected or leading in 46 ridings, while the B.C. Conservatives were elected or leading in 45.
Forming a majority government in B.C. requires 47 of the legislature’s 93 seats.
Regardless of the outcome, it was a moment to relish for the Conservatives, as they achieved their first elected presence in the legislature in decades.
“Whether it’s government tonight or official opposition, we’re not going anywhere,” Conservative president Aisha Estey said in Vancouver, calling the party’s rise “the ultimate underdog story.”
“There’s a Conservative Party in B.C. now, finally.”
The Greens managed to retain party status by winning two seats and a potentially significant role in the legislature, although their leader, Sonia Furstenau, suffered a disappointing defeat in Victoria-Beacon Hill.
Green Rob Botterell won in Saanich North and the Islands, taking the seat previously held by Green Adam Olsen, who did not seek re-election, while Jeremy Valeriote took West Vancouver Sea to Sky.
Olsen called Furstenau’s loss very disappointing but said the Saanich North and the Islands result marks the first time a Green incumbent has been able to hand over a riding to a new Green MLA.
He added that if the NDP’s 46 seats holds, “a functional government is going to require the BC Greens and it’s a role that we’ve been familiar with” — in reference to the Greens propping up the NDP after the 2017 election.
Furstenau, who had represented the Cowichan Valley before switching to Victoria-Beacon Hill, where she lost to NDP cabinet minister Grace Lore, told supporters at an election night party that she is passing the torch and will be there to mentor and lead in any way she can.
“It’s a strange time in politics when, during an atmospheric river, people come out and vote for a party that’s denying the reality of climate change,” she said of the Conservatives’ strong showing.
Both Eby and Rustad retained their seats.
Vancouver Island continued to be an NDP stronghold, with preliminary results showing the party leading in 12 of 15 seats. Conservatives were narrowly leading in two of the remaining seats and Botterell in the third. You can see the full Island results here.
Lore, elected for the second time to Victoria-Beacon Hill, arrived at Parkside Hotel and Spa on Humboldt Street, where the NDP was gathering, to a room full of prolonged cheers and chants of “Grace, Grace, Grace” led by Rob Fleming, outgoing MLA for Victoria-Swan Lake.
Lore said she was “so grateful for every single one of you in this room.”
“It is a team sport and it has absolutely been a team sport on the Island today.
“It has been the absolute the honour of my lifetime to represent this community and to serve as the minister of Children and Families.”
Among the other winners were the NDP’s Lana Popham in Saanich South, Ravi Kahlon in Delta North and Niki Sharma in Vancouver-Hastings, as well as Conservatives Bruce Banman in Abbotsford South and Brent Chapman in Surrey South. Chapman had been heavily criticized during the campaign for an old social media post that called Palestinian children “inbred” and “time bombs.”
Numerous other NDP cabinet ministers retained their seats.
Health Minister Adrian Dix was re-elected in Vancouver-Renfrew, while Jobs Minister Brenda Bailey won her race in Vancouver-South Granville.
In Burnaby Centre, Municipal Affairs Minister Anne Kang will return to the legislature, as will Emergency Management Minister Bowinn Ma in North Vancouver-Lonsdale.
On Vancouver Island, Energy Minister Josie Osborne won her seat in the riding of Mid Island-Pacific Rim.
Lisa Beare, minister of post-secondary education, was also re-elected in Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows, while Citizens’ Services Minister George Chow won his race in Vancouver-Fraserview.
Nathan Cullen, who served as the NDP minister of water, land and resource stewardship, lost the riding of Bulkley Valley-Stikine to Conservative Sharon Hartwell.
Education Minister Rachna Singh lost her seat to Conservative Mandeep Dhaliwal in Surrey North, and Dan Coulter, who served as minister of state for infrastructure and transit, lost the Chilliwack North riding to Conservative Heather Maahs.
Results came in quickly, as promised by Elections BC, with electronic vote tabulation being used provincewide for the first time.
The election authority had expected the count would be “substantially complete” by 9 p.m., one hour after the close of polls.
There had already been a big turnout before election day on Saturday, with more than a million advance votes cast, representing more than 28 per cent of valid voters and smashing the previous record for early polling.
Rustad’s unlikely rise came after he was thrown out of the Opposition, then known as the BC Liberals, joined the Conservatives as leader, and steered them to a level of popularity that led to the collapse of his old party, now called BC United — all in just two years.
Rustad shared a photo on social media Saturday showing himself smiling and walking with his wife at a voting station, with a message saying, “This is the first time Kim and I have voted for the Conservative Party of BC!”
Eby, who voted earlier in the week, posted a message on social media Saturday telling voters to “grab an umbrella and stay safe.”
Some former BC United MLAs running as Independents were defeated, with Karin Kirkpatrick, Dan Davies, Coralee Oakes and Tom Shypitka all losing to Conservatives.
It was a nasty 28-day campaign, with Eby casting Rustad and some of his candidates as extremists and conspiracy theorists. Rustad called Eby a serial liar and slammed policy failures in public safety.
When they weren’t slinging accusations, party leaders made promises on critical issues including health care, housing, the cost of living and the environment.
The NDP and BC Conservatives ran a full slate of 93 candidates each, while the Greens ran 69, and a record 40 Independents were in the race. Preliminary voter turnout was just under 57 per cent, slightly up from 54 per cent in 2020, but down from about 61 per cent in 2017.
