The NDP has maintained its hold on the Oak Bay-Gordon Head riding with a decisive win Saturday night.
Preliminary results show the B.C. NDP's Diana Gibson with 13,3721 votes, followed by B.C. Conservative candidate Stephen Andrew with 8,161 votes and Green candidate Lisa Gunderson with 6,197 votes
Amid a packed room shouting and applauding several successful south Island NDP candidates on election night, Gibson thanked the volunteers who came out in the pouring rain “dropping soggy flyers” knocking on doors to the last minute.
“What resonated at the doors and that shows up in the numbers, Oak Bay-Gordon Head wants to see the NDP continue progress with health care, housing, education, environment. All these areas and really the values that we brought were the values the community wants to see reflected in government,” Gibson told the Saanich News, while celebrating with others Saturday night.
“Representing this riding as MLA is going to be about really galvanizing the movement we've built and continuing to engage with the community and representing them.”
With a plan to celebrate as the final numbers rolled in, Gibson wouldn’t delve into what the future with the NDP at the helm might look like, but emphasized her role in it.
“I can talk to you about the job of MLA which I'm really excited about doing and really committed to staying really boots on the ground and doing something. I'm excited about that job. It's a combination of everything I've done in my life,” Gibson said.
“There was just this incredible groundswell of support that was part of this campaign, a real momentum, so many people coming out and as we got closer to the election saying, ‘What can I do?’” she said. “And really, that was the thing where those numbers aren't a big surprise because we just had so many people coming forward saying there's a lot at stake.”
While sad and disappointed about her finish in her riding and for party leader Sonia Furstenau who did not win in her riding, Gunderson said the party itself came away with a win.
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. If those totals hold, the NDP would need the support of the two Green MLAs to form government.
“It’s huge. It brings us to where we were in 2017. We’re going to be holding the balance of responsibility once again,” Gunderson said.
“I will be very interested to see the dynamics, what that’s going to look like.”
She’s also thrilled by the victory of new NDP MLA George Anderson, who was elected in Nanaimo-Lantzville.
Anderson, new to provincial politics, served one term on Nanaimo city council. He told the Nanaimo News Bulletin that it is meaningful to him to be the first Black elected official in the legislature in nearly 50 years. A sentiment Gunderson shares.
“That’s massive,” Gunderson agreed. “I’m excited for our communities.”
