With all the polls reporting, Dana Lajeunesse is projected to have won a nail-biter for the B.C. NDP in Juan de Fuca-Malahat. A recount will be needed to confirm the results.
With just 23 votes separating Lajeunesse from B.C. Conservative Marina Sapozhnikov, the current Sooke councillor was happy, but not yet celebrating
“We’re happy, and thankful to the people of Juan de Fuca-Malahat for giving us this chance,” said Lajeunesse. "It’s a new riding and I want to thank all our volunteers. I won’t speculate on any of the final outcomes of tonight’s election until all the results are in, but it was a great race.”
The final unofficial results show Lajeunesse with 8,942 votes, representing 38.53 per cent of the total, followed by Sapozhnikov with 8,919 votes, or 38.43 per cent. David Evans of the B.C. Green Party finished with 5,345 votes, accounting for 23.03 per cent. Ballots cast outside the riding are still to be counted.
Lajeunesse said that he was looking forward to working on what he sees as the highest priorities for the riding, including transportation, infrastructure, education and affordability.
Nubwa Wathanaff, Lajeunesse’s campaign manager, found it hard to keep from smiling too broadly but was obviously pleased with her candidate’s apparent victory in the newly formed riding.
“We were so lucky to have such a great group of volunteers come out and support this amazing candidate,” she said. People know that he’s the right person – the person who can deliver for this riding.”
The NDP currently holds a slim lead in the battle for control of the B.C. Legislature, with the NDP leading in 46 ridings, B.C. Conservatives with 45 and B.C. Green holding the lead in two seats.
"There is a possibility tonight that there is a minority government with the NDP with the most seats, but relying on the Greens, and we were there in 2017. That was a good government led by John Horgan," said outgoing cabinet minister Rob Fleming.
"There will be some very interesting conversations between both the Greens and Premier David Eby in the coming days."
The 43rd provincial election marked the first to use a new electronic tabulation process for votes, however final counts will be by hand. That final count will happen between Oct. 26-28, which will clarify ridings that on Saturday were too close to call. If after that the difference between two or more candidates in a riding comes within 1/500th of the total votes cast, there will be a judicial recount.
