New Democrat Richard Cannings has been re-elected in South Okanagan-West Kootenay.
As of Tuesday morning, 278 of 280 polls had reported.
Cannings had 36.4 per cent of the vote, with 24,304 votes, edging out conservative challenger Helena Konanz, who took 32.5 per cent (23,508 votes). The Liberals’ Connie Denesiuk was third with 17.2 per cent (11,481).
Cannings was late joining electoral politics, finishing second in the 2013 B.C. provincial election in the riding of Penticton at the age of 58.
Two years later, he had better fortune in the federal election, capturing 24,823 votes (37.3 per cent). South Okanagan-West Kootenay was one of the closest three-way races in the province, with Conservative candidate Marshall Neufeld securing 19,871 votes (29.8 per cent) and Liberal candidate Connie Denesiuk picking up 18,732 votes (28.1 per cent).
The riding was one of many majorly redistributed ridings in 2015.
Candidates
NDP: Richard Cannings
Liberal: Connie Denesiuk
Conservative: Helena Konanz
Green: Tara Howse
Rhinoceros: Jon Pelletier
Independent: Carolina Hopkins
People’s Party of Canada: Sean Taylor
Geography
The riding consists of the communities of Castlegar, New Denver, Silverton, Slocan, Nakusp, Penticton, Oliver and Osoyoos.
Demographics
European: 93,725, 84 per cent
Aboriginal: 9,065, 8.1 per cent
South Asian: 2,850, 2.6 per cent
Filipino: 695, 0.6 per cent