Cariboo North results: Liberal Coralee Oakes defeats independent Simpson

Liberal candidate Coralee Oakes has won the seat of Cariboo North, defeating independent incumbent Bob Simpson.

Oakes carried 41.3 per cent of the vote as of 10:13 p.m., to Simpson’s 37.3 per cent and NDP candidate Duncan Barnett’s 21.5 per cent.

Oakes is a former Quesnel councillor and the current executive director of the Quesnel District Chamber of Commerce.

Simpson was originally elected as an NDP MLA in 2005. He was kicked out of caucus after he called for the resignation of Carole James as leader of the NDP and has since sat as an independent. Since then, he has been an outspoken critic of provincial party politics. He posted all of his expenses online – rare for a sitting politician.