It was closer than last election, but Mike Bernier still won the South Peace hands down, taking 3,215 of the 6,239 votes that have been cast during the advance polling and on election day.
There are still 813 mail in ballots to be counted, but even if they were all for second place Conservative candidate Kathleen Connolly, it wouldn’t be enough to surmount the 1260 vote lead.
In 2017, Bernier took 75.63 percent of the vote, the highest any Liberal candidate in BC has ever got.
In third place was NDP candidate Cory Grizz Longley, with 892 votes. His goal this election was to make some inroads into the Liberal domination, but 892 is down from the 2,099 votes Stephanie Goudie got in 2017, and the 1,988 that former Tumbler Ridge Mayor Darwin Wren got running for the NDP in 2013.
Indeed, you have to go back to Elmer Kybush in the 2001 election to have fewer votes for the NDP.
The fourth candidate, Dorothy Smith, received just 177 votes. While she is running on the Wexit ticket, Wexit withdrew support for their two candidates, calling the endorsements “premature and uni[n]formed” on the Wexit party’s Facebook page.
“Please be advised that Dorothy Smith (Peace River South) and Arlyn Greig (Boundary Similkameen) are remaining on the Ballot for the Oct. 24/2020 BC Election,” says the Wexit Page. “They are now running as Independent Separatists, and will work with Constituents in their perspective Ridings to try and make a difference locally.
“Both Dorothy and Arlyn wish only the Best for the Wexit Movement and Wexit BC.”
However, she remained on the ballot as a Wexit candidate.
At the time we posted this (admittedly, nigh midnight on election night) we were unable to reach Bernier for comment.
In the North Peace, Dan Davis was elected over Conservative opponent and party leader Trevor Bolin.
