2019 Canada election results: South Surrey-White Rock

The Conservatives have recaptured the riding of South Surrey-White Rock.

Kerry-Lynne Findlay won the riding, knocking off popular former mayor and MLA Gordie Hogg in a rematch of their 2017 byelection contest. The NDP’s Stephen Crozier finished a distant third.

That byelection win had been considered a huge victory for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, after the Conservatives squeaked out a narrow win in 2015.

What made the Dec. 11, 2017 victory so significant for the party was that for as long as most constituents could remember the riding had been held by the Conservatives, Alliance or Reform parties.

A big reason for the byelection breakthrough was the Liberal candidate himself. Gordie Hogg was first elected as a White Rock city councillor in the mid-1970s and has remained in public life ever since. Hogg has served as White Rock’s mayor and then as the Liberal MLA for the area.

In the byelection, Hogg received 14,369 votes (47.49 per cent), defeating Findlay, who received 12,752 votes (42.1 per cent).

Four years ago, the Conservatives had its own star candidate in the riding. Former Surrey mayor Dianne Watts won the seats with 24,934 votes (44 per cent) to defeat Liberal Judith Higginbotham, who received 23,495 votes (41.5 per cent). The byelection was triggered when Watts quit to run for the provincial BC Liberal leadership.

Candidates

Liberal: Gordie Hogg
Conservative: Kerry-Lynne Findlay
NDP: Stephen Crozier
Green: Beverly (Pixie) Hobby
People’s Party of Canada: Joel Poulin

Geography

The riding covers White Rock and South Surrey. The eastern border of the riding is 192 Street. The northern part of the riding is 56 Avenue in parts and 58 Avenue in other parts. The southern border is the U.S. border and the western border is the water.

Demographics

European: 69,005, 68.3 per cent
Chinese: 12,925, 12.8 per cent
South Asian: 8,640, 8.5 per cent
Aboriginal: 2,965, 2.9 per cent