Historic Election Win For BC Greens
- kc dyer
- Oct 21, 2024
- 2 min read
Storm didn't stop campaigners from encouraging the vote
Supporters of the BC Green Party in the West Vancouver – Sea to Sky riding didn't let a mere atmospheric river stand in the way of getting out voters, and by all accounts, their hard work paid off.
BC Green Party candidate Jeremy Valeriote took the finish line in an historic win for the party, securing the first-ever seat in the Lower Mainland as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA).
Supporters of the candidate waved signs at vehicles driving past in what turned out to be one of the worst storms of the year. “We got a lot of honks and waves, and I think it made a difference,” said local Green party supporter Rebecca Caspersen.
Another of the sign-wavers was 14 year-old Anika Lofgren, who explained why she was standing out in the rain:
“My biggest hope for what Jeremy Valeriote will accomplish while in power is to do his best to help fight climate change and encourage others to do so as well. We can't just stand by and watch our world deteriorate before our eyes or assume that someone else will take care of it. Climate change is a serious issue so it needs to be taken seriously."
Most of the polls managed to stay open while flood waters coursed down the sides of North Shore mountains, turning streets into rivers. As the storm slowed, the race heated up, with the polls closing at 8 p.m.
It was a tight race all evening as the vote counts came in, and in the end, the results came down to a two-candidate sprint with just under three percent of the votes separating Valeriote from BC Conservative candidate Yuri Fulmer.
Valeriote is no stranger to close races, after losing to then-Liberal candidate Jordan Sturdy by a mere 60 votes in 2020. This time around, Valeriote had 10,221 votes to Fulmer's 9,555 and the BC NDP's Jen Ford gained a not-insignificant 7,018 votes, meaning a ten-fold increase in the number of votes separating the top two contenders.
All the same, a 666 vote margin still made for a devilish nail-biter, and BC Green supporters in Lions Bay and elsewhere around the riding spent most of the evening on the edge of their seats.
BC Green Party leader Sonia Furstenau lost her seat in Victoria, meaning that the two elected MLAs are currently leaderless. After winning 46 seats, the NDP are still one seat short of a majority, and the BC Conservatives continue to breathe down their necks with 45 declared seats, leaving the election across the province divided along the tightest possible lines.
Recounts have been ordered in several ridings and most are still too close to call, so the final result of this election may not be known for weeks.
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I would like to believe that all those people willing to brave the atmospheric river at the eleventh hour made a difference, and to Anika Lofgren I would like to say how glad I am that your parents are raising you to be a strong voice for the future.
Campaigning at a crossroads and later securing a 666 win… what kind of deals were made exactly, lol?!
Thank you Anika Lofgren for your comments! Climate change is a serious issue and I was shocked to hear from my middle-aged niece and nephew that they don't think it is. We must all take it very seriously.
Congratulation Jeremy on victory this time!
Congratulations to Mr. Valeriote on his victory in the election.
Here’s hoping that he provides a good example of positive leadership in our riding.