British Columbia is politically divided this morning as final votes are tallied from yesterdays provincial election. The Conservative Party has surged, pulling nearly even with the BC NDP. Currently, the BC NDP is either elected or leading in 46 ridings, while the Conservatives have won or are leading in 45. The Green Party has secured two seats.
In the Kootenay Rockies riding, Conservative Party candidate Pete Davis has been elected as MLA, winning approximately 42.8% of the vote (8,114 votes). He unseated incumbent MLA Tom Shypitka, who ran as an Independent and garnered 30.5% of the vote (5,776 votes).
Kerri Wall, Fernie’s sole candidate, ran a commendable campaign and was praised for her leadership. This was Kerri’s second consecutive campaign with the BC Green Party, and while the election results didn’t go in her favor, she used the opportunity to advance the Green Party’s progressive and inclusive platform.
Kerri commented on the election, “I want to congratulate my fellow candidates for the very hard work they put into this campaign. I am especially proud of the dedicated team I had behind me, and the much bigger reach I had this time compared to 2020. Due to our flawed electoral system, many voters felt compelled to cast their ballot for a perceived safer option rather than their preferred pick. The fear that drives strategic voting caused a whole party to collapse less than two months ago, and it created dissatisfaction across the province on election night. I hope that seeing another dramatic election such as this one will encourage people to more seriously consider electoral reform.”
Sam Atwal, representing the BC New Democratic Party (NDP), received 4,088 votes (21.6%), while Kerri Wall of the Green Party earned 971 votes (5.1%).
In comparison, during the last election cycle in 2020, Shypitka secured 58% of the vote with 9,897 ballots. Wayne Stetski, running for the BC NDP, received 32% with 5,499 ballots, and Wall, in her first Green Party campaign, captured 10% with 1,697 votes.
Pete Davis, the newly elected MLA, is a long-time Cranbrook resident. Married to his wife Heather for 23 years, Davis is a father of four and a dedicated outdoorsman with deep ties to the motorcycle, boating, and camping communities.
The Conservative Party, which hasn’t governed British Columbia since the 1930s, experienced a resurgence in this election. Their success may be linked to the growing popularity of the Conservative Party of Canada.
