Cheers and applause as early numbers trickle in at the NDP offices. #yyj #bcelection2017 pic.twitter.com/mBxzkVCnY6 — Kendra Wong (@Kendraewong) May 10, 2017
The NDP have won the Victoria-Beacon Hill, Victoria-Swan Lake and Esquimalt-Metchosin ridings in the 41st general election.
Early numbers in the Victoria-Beacon Hill riding, show incumbent NDP Carole James has 4,668 votes, followed by Green Party’s Kalen Harris with 2,771, B.C. Liberal Karen Bill with 1,492, Libertarian Art Lowe with 51, and independents Jordan Reichert and David Shebib with 19 and 9 votes, respectively.
“It really is so humbling to have the confidence of the people of Victoria-Beacon Hill for another four years,” said James shortly before she took the stage to thank supporters at the office on Fort Street. “I look forward to continuing to serve this community.”
James was first elected as MLA during the 2005 provincial election, when she defeated the incumbent B.C. Liberal MLA Jeff Bray by an almost 2-1 margin. She was then re-elected in both 2009 and 2013, when she nabbed almost 49 per cent of the vote.
In Victoria-Swan Lake, incumbent NDP Rob Fleming had 7,730 votes as of 10:45 p.m. on Tuesday night, followed by Green Party’s Chris Maxwell with 4,341, B.C. Liberal Stacey Piercey with 2,273, and David Costigane of the Vancouver Island Party with 128 votes.
Carole James and Rob Fleming take the stage at the offices on Fort Street. #yyj pic.twitter.com/pIDabSkMUR
— Kendra Wong (@Kendraewong) May 10, 2017
“We really brought the orange wave down here,” he said. “We worked incredibly hard during this campaign … let’s see where it gets us at the end of the night.”
Fleming won decisively three times before, with 54.5 per cent of the vote in 2013. He was first elected as MLA in the riding in 2005. Has been a vocal critic for the opposition on issues including the environment, tourism, education.
In the newly-formed Esquimalt-Metchosin riding, the NDP’s Mitzi Dean has 6,974 votes, followed by B.C. Liberal and Esquimalt Mayor Barb Desjardins with 4,079 votes, Green Party’s Andy MacKinnon with 3,707, independent Delmar Martay with 71 votes, Liberarian Josh Steffler with 98 and Tyson Standland of the Communisty Party of B.C. with 42 votes.
Shouts of NDP coming from the crowd on Fort Street. #yyj #bcelxn17 pic.twitter.com/k5ywOznGVR
— Kendra Wong (@Kendraewong) May 10, 2017
kendra.wong@vicnews.com
