BC NDP heads for majority win in provincial election

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – B.C. will have another NDP government.

Hundreds of thousands of mail-in votes have yet to be tallied, however, the New Democrats won a majority of seats just shortly after polls closed at 8 p.m.. This provincial election has seen a record number of absentee votes, with many people choosing to cast their ballot by mail due to COVID-19 concerns.

NDP Leader John Horgan’s gamble to trigger a snap election appears to have paid off, despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Political scientist David Moscrop said the election was about which party voters thought would best handle the health crisis and help British Columbians recover from it.

“And I think a lot of voters looked at the NDP’s record and decided they were the ones. Now the pressure’s on them to make sure they can deliver,” he explained.

Horgan was among the NDP candidates to be re-elected on Saturday, with the NDP leader securing his riding of Langford-Juan de Fuca riding on Vancouver Island.

NEED TO KNOW: The BC Liberals have secured their first seat as the NDP is elected in many others. The New Democrats' Lisa Beare & Leader John Horgan have won their ridings https://t.co/1IUzdQcQ3Y #BCVotes2020 #bcpoli pic.twitter.com/i8gl6isObD

— CityNews Vancouver (@CityNewsVAN) October 25, 2020

Moscrop believes the NDP’s win on Saturday largely came down to the province’s handling of the pandemic thus far.

“And I mean, that includes, of course, Dr. [Bonnie] Henry who did extraordinary work. It wasn’t just the NDP government, there were a lot of folks doing the work, but the NDP did quite a strong job,” Moscrop added.

Moscrop says because the party is no longer able to use the excuse they are the minority government, he says the NDP needs to get serious about tackling important issues, including climate change, homelessness, transportation, and the other public health emergency – the ongoing opioid overdose crisis.

Horgan’s victory

Speaking after his party’s win on Saturday, Horgan said that despite thousands of votes still needing to be counted, he would keep his focus.

“On helping people get through this pandemic, making sure that they have the services that they need, and all British Columbians can sleep safely knowing that we’re going to do everything we can to keep them safe, healthy, and secure,” he said.

Speaking about tonight’s success @jjhorgan is tempered In his excitement as have the @bcndp MLAs I’ve spoken to. But a rare bit of applause.
This is such a strange time. An historic win.
A pandemic.
500,000 absentee ballots.#bcpoli #BCvotes2020 @NEWS1130 @CityNewsVAN pic.twitter.com/AxUKZn7Vtt

— LizaYuzda (@LizaYuzda) October 25, 2020

Admitting this has been a difficult election, Horgan maintained his stance that it was necessary.

“And I think I’m grateful for all of British Columbians that we can put the election behind us and we can get back to focusing on the things that matter most to you,” he said.

Horgan thanked Dr. Bonnie Henry, Elections BC for their work in ensuring British Columbians could “vote safely.”

“COVID-19 has turned our lives upside down. None of us expected to be here, none of us expected that we would have to endure the challenges we’ve had over the past number of months. But we are far from out of the woods,” Horgan said, adding the focus needs to be on the months ahead and on recovery.

He also extended his gratitude to Green Party Leader Sonia Furstenau and Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson for “a spirited campaign where you put forward ideas and allowed British Columbians to make clear choices.”

NDP sees many candidates re-elected

In addition to Horgan, voters also re-elected a number of NDP candidates.

B.C. VOTES 2020: Results have already come in for some ridings. The NDP has secured a few seats, with notable re-elections of Vancouver-Kingsway's Adrian Dix and Vancouver-Mount Pleasant's Melanie Mark https://t.co/PRC4rDM3fQ #BCVotes2020 #bcpoli pic.twitter.com/zgfdIoASvj

— CityNews Vancouver (@CityNewsVAN) October 25, 2020

MORE RESULTS: Former Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth has won the Port Coquitlam riding for the NDP #BCVotes2020 pic.twitter.com/ELAI4Vr4a5

— CityNews Vancouver (@CityNewsVAN) October 25, 2020

Find live results as the numbers come in here.

Find more information any time on our B.C. Votes 2020 page.