BC NDP leading in 8 key races as provincial election final count continues

John Horgan’s NDP government was leading in more than half a dozen key races on Saturday, as elections officials continued to count mail-in and absentee ballots from the 2020 provincial election.

The overall outcome of the election is not in question, with Horgan on track to form a majority government, but the size of that majority is still in question.

As of election night on Oct. 23, there were still 12 races Global News deemed too close to call.

On Friday, Elections BC staff began counting the more than 660,000 remaining uncounted ballots, a process expected to take at least three days.

Of the more than 287,000 of those ballots workers counted Friday, the NDP won just over 51 per cent, the BC Liberals nearly 32 per cent and the BC Greens 14.5 per cent.

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By noon on Saturday, the New Democrats led in eight of them, the BC Liberals three and the BC Greens in one.

The party held the slimmest of leads in Vernon-Monashee, where the party desperately hopes to form an Okanagan beachhead.

Harwinder Sandhu was ahead of incumbent Liberal Eric Foster by just 50 votes.

Three of the leads are in the Fraser Valley, a region where the NDP has never won before.

New Democrat Megan Dykeman held a lead of 1,161 over Liberal Margaret Kunst in Langley East. The NDP’s Pam Alexis had built up a 539 vote lead over Liberal Simon Gibson in Abbotsford Mission.

And in Chilliwack-Kent, newcomer Kelli Paddon had increased her lead over former BC Liberal-turned independent Laurie Throness to 416.

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A wide swath of Richmond, another traditional BC Liberal stronghold, appeared within reach of the NDP Saturday.

New Democrat Henry Yao maintained a lead of 118 votes over Liberal Alexa Loo by 118 votes in Richmond South Centre, and the NDP’s Kelly Greene remained 814 votes ahead of Liberal Matt Pitcairn in Richmond-Steveston.

In Parksville-Qualicum, New Democrat Adam Walker maintained more than a 1,000 vote lead over former BC Liberal cabinet minister Michelle Stillwell, and in Vancouver-False Creek the NDP’s Brenda Bailey’s lead over BC Liberal and former Vancouver mayor Sam Sullivan to more than 1,400 votes.

Of the remaining tight races, the BC Liberals held their strongest lead in Vancouver-Langara, where incumbent Michael Lee was up by 935 votes over New Democrat Tessica Truong.

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Liberal Trevor Halford held a 751 vote lead over New Democrat Bryn Smith in Surrey-White Rock, and incumbent Liberal Jackie Taggart was ahead of the NDP’s Aaron Sumexheltza in Fraser-Nicola.

The Greens appeared within reach of their first-ever seat off Vancouver Island, in West Vancouver-Sea to Sky.

Jeremy Valeriote had edged his lead over incumbent Jordan Sturdy up to 743 votes.

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