In 2013: Incumbent Mary Polak won this riding for the B.C. Liberals, defeating her NDP challenger (51 per cent to 27 per cent).
In 2009: Mary Polak won, defeating NDP candidate Kathleen Stephany by over 4,500 votes (57 per cent to 36 per cent).
History & Geography: Created in 1966, the riding has had the same general boundaries since the 1991 election, when Aldergrove-Fort Langley was split off. It spans the City of Langley, along with everything south of it between 196th and 232nd Street. Langley voted Social Credit for seven straight elections, and has voted for the Liberals the last five. Many of the low-cost apartments in the city centre and areas around Kwantlen University lean towards the NDP, but the rest of the riding is solidly Liberal.
Candidates
BC Liberals-Mary Polak: The Minister of Environment, Polak was first elected in 2005. Polak is another member of Christy Clark’s inner cabinet circle, having held other high profile portfolios, including transportation.
NDP- Gail Chaddock-Costello: A perennial candidate, she has run before for the NDP at both the provincial and federal level. She is currently first vice president of the Langley Teachers’ Association. She also operates a Bed and Breakfast.
Greens- Elizabeth Walker: A graphic designer and small business owner, she previously worked in the airline industry as an emergency procedures instructor for pilots and crew.
Libertarian – Rob Pobran: The Libertarian party is running 30 candidates, four times as many as in 2013. They have been running candidates in B.C. since 1986, but have never come close to winning a seat.
Conservative – Justin Greenwood: Greenwood is the manager of a marketing company. The BC Conservatives are a mere shadow of the party from the 2013 campaign, when they fielded 56 candidates. They are running 10 candidates in 2017. It’s a small-government, right-of-centre party.
2017 Stats: Langley
Population (2014): 59,812 (19th)
Population Deviation from Average: 12.6 per cent
Area: 59 sq km (57th)
Pop Density: 1,013.8 (31st)
Average Age: 39.5 years (59th)
English as Second Language: 16.02 per cent (46th)
Top 3 Second Languages:
Korean – 2.12 per cent
German – 1.57 per cent
Spanish – 1.10 per cent
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