VANCOUVER — B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad says the political landscape in the province has "changed forever" after his party pushed the incumbent New Democrats to the brink, in an election that was too close to call late Saturday.
Both parties were straining to reach a 47-seat majority, and Rustad told supporters in Vancouver that even if David Eby's NDP returned to power in a minority government he would take "every opportunity" to bring them down.
"This is what happens when you stand on values," a triumphant Rustad said.
A handful of ridings were undecided, with Conservative and NDP candidates separated by fewer than 100 votes in two of them.
Premier David Eby said in a muted speech to supporters that although the outcome was unclear there was a "clear majority" of votes for progressive values.
"But we've got to do better," he said.
Eby said he had his differences with Rustad but "I will absolutely acknowledge that he spoke to the frustrations" of British Columbians.
He also said he was committed to working with Green Leader Sonia Furstenau, whose party could hold the balance of power in a minority government after winning two seats.
Regardless of the final outcome, it was a spectacular turnaround for the Conservatives, who won less than 2 per cent of the vote in the last election, and for Rustad, who led them out of the political wilderness.
B.C. Conservatives president Aisha Estey called it "the ultimate underdog story" and relished what she called a "historic campaign."
"Whether it's government tonight or official opposition, we're not going anywhere. There's a Conservative Party in B.C. now finally," she said. "We're back."
Rustad's unlikely rise came after he was thrown out of the Opposition, then known as the BC Liberals, joined the Conservatives as leader, and steered them to a level of popularity that led to the collapse of his old party, now called BC United — all in just two years.
Outgoing NDP MLA George Heyman, who did not run for re-election, said it was always "going to be a tight election."
"It's reminiscent of 2017," Heyman said, referring to the last B.C. election where no party reached majority. "The message is clear, people have been struggling. They're having a hard time."
Green Leader Sonia Furstenau said her party was poised to play a "pivotal role" in the legislature.
The Green victories went to Rob Botterell in Saanich North and the Islands and Jeremy Valeriote in West Vancouver-Sea to Sky.
Furstenau lost to the NDP's Grace Lore after switching ridings to Victoria-Beacon Hill, but said she was "so excited" for her two colleagues, calling their wins "incredible."
"This is a passing of the torch and I am going to be there to mentor and guide and lead in any way that I can," she told her supporters in Victoria.
Botterell, a retired lawyer who won his riding with nearly 12,000 votes, said it was an “exciting day” for him and he was “honoured” for the opportunity to serve his constituents.
"Tonight's a night for celebration," he said. "There will be lots of discussion over the upcoming weeks, but I am totally supportive of Sonia and I'm going do everything I can to support her and the path forward that she chooses to take because that's her decision."
Royal Roads professor David Black said the Greens getting official party status after winning two seats could give them “some real bargaining power” in what is shaping up to be a very tight legislature.
“The Greens are going to be the kingmakers here whatever happens, if the race is as close as it is right now between two larger parties,” he said in an interview on election night before the winner had been decided.
The B.C. Conservatives set to enter the legislature include Brent Chapman in Surrey South, who had been heavily criticized during the campaign for an old social media post that called Palestinian children "inbred" and "time bombs."
Both Eby and Rustad retained their ridings.
It was a rain-drenched election day in much of the province.
Voters braved high winds and torrential downpours brought by an atmospheric river weather system that forced closures of several polling stations due to power outages.
Most results came in quickly, as promised by Elections BC, with electronic vote tabulation being used provincewide for the first time. But the narrow margins in some undecided seats raised the possibility of automatic recounts, which must take place in ridings where the margin is less than one-thousandth of all votes cast.
There had already been a big turnout before election day on Saturday, with more than a million advance votes cast, representing more than 28 per cent of valid voters and smashing the previous record for early polling.
The wild weather on election day was appropriate for such a tumultuous campaign.
Two voting sites in Cariboo-Chilcotin in the B.C. Interior and one in Maple Ridge in the Lower Mainland were closed due to power cuts, Elections BC said, while several sites in Kamloops, Langley and Port Moody, as well as on Hornby, Denman and Mayne islands, were temporarily shut but reopened by mid-afternoon.
A group of former BC United MLAs running as Independents were all defeated, with Karin Kirkpatrick, Dan Davies, Coralee Oakes and Tom Shypitka losing to Conservatives.
— With files from Brenna Owen, Dirk Meissner, Brieanna Charlebois, Ashley Joannou and Darryl Greer
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 19, 2024.
Chuck Chiang, The Canadian Press
