Prince George-Valemount MLA Shirley Bond will almost certainly be heading back to Victoria for a sixth term.
Bond received 7,560 votes (56.43 per cent of the vote), ahead of NDP candidate Laura Parent (3,477 votes, 25.95 per cent), Green candidate Mackenzie Kerr (1,987, 14.83 per cent) and Libertarian Sean Robson (374 votes, 2.79 per cent). With all 88 ballot boxes reported, there is little chance of an upset when the mail-in ballots are counted.
The final count won't be available until Nov. 6 at the very earliest, Elections BC officials said prior the election. An estimated 500,000 British Columbians voted by mail, according to Elections BC."First of all, I want to say thank you for the incredible hard work of all the volunteers," Bond said after polls closed on Saturday. "It's been a personally difficult campaign. I've never run for office without my husband Bill beside me. I couldn't do this without a family that takes good care of me."
In Prince George-Valemount, 4,155 voters requested mail-in ballots.
Bond said she's concerned that government will be sitting idle during the middle of a pandemic, waiting on mail-in ballots to be counted.
"We should be in the legislature, not at a campaign event tonight," she said.
Bond said she wanted thank her opponents, and that she was glad to see a diverse group of people for coming forward to take part in the political process.
"From my perspective, politics should reflect what B.C. looks like," she said. "It's often difficult to convince women to be involved in politics. It's seen as quite adversarial."
NDP candidate Laura Parent declined to comment, ahead of the NDP conceding the riding.
Green candidate Mackenzie Kerr said she was proud of the showing she and her party made in the election.
"I'm just so incredibly proud and honoured to have gotten so many votes already," Kerr said. "Of course we're hoping for more seats, always. (But) we have been second place in many ridings. We have surpassed the 10 per cent threshold in so many ridings."
Kerr said she plans to keep in touch with Bond, and hopes to continue advocating for sustainable, green local initiatives.
The NDP were leading in 55 ridings as of 11 p.m. Saturday, with the Liberals leading in 29 ridings and the Greens leading in three ridings.
