Defeated Nechako Lakes BC NDP candidate Anne Marie Sam says she’ll continue to advocate for the riding and its needs.
“The results are bittersweet for me. I am so happy that we will have a majority BC NDP government in Victoria to lead us through the rest of the pandemic,” said Sam in a brief post-election statement following the Oct. 24 provincial election.
“In three years, the NDP have done so much for Nechako Lakes, I look forward to what we will achieve in government over a full term.”
Sam also congratulated BC Liberal incumbent John Rustad who collected 52.69 per cent or 4,120 of the votes counted election night Oct. 24 compared to Sam’s 33.18 per cent or 2,594 votes.
Elections BC officials are now validating mail in ballots with the count to take place during the first week of November.
Of the 17,418 registed voters in the Nechako Lakes riding as of election day, 1,151 mail in ballot packages were requested.
Rustad is now the projected winning candidate in the riding as the mail in results will not affect the final outcome.
This was Rustad’s fifth consecutive victory to represent the BC Liberals in the provincial legislature.
He also defeated Sam in the 2017 provincial election when he received 54.39 per cent of the vote compared to Sam’s 29.81 per cent.
Sam took a leave from her position as a senior advisor within the provincial indigenous relations and reconciliation ministry to run as the BC NDP candidate.
The overall provincial voter turn out is estimated at 52.4 per cent, down from the 2017 provincial election. The turnout in Nechako Lakes was just under that number at 51.50 per cent.
Of ballot counting Oct. 24, Independent Margo Maley received 341 votes or 4.36 per cent of the total, Libertarian Jon Rempel received 376 votes or 4.81 per cent and Dan Stuart of the Christian Heritage Party received 388 votes or 4.96 per cent of the total.