In what will no doubt be an upset for the BC Liberals, Andrew Mercier of the BC NDP is projected to win in Langley.
Langley has long elected right-leaning politicians and has historically been considered a safe seat for the BC Liberals.
BC Liberal incumbent Mary Polak was initially projected to win here.
The riding has elected either social credit or BC Liberal MLAs in every election for more than five decades.
But it appears things have changed.
Polak was gearing up for as tough a challenge as she has faced since entering provincial politics.
“Langley has changed dramatically. If I look back at when I grew up around here, so many of the places that are now, town homes, family residences, used to be bush or chicken farms,” Polak said.
“It’s just the profile of the riding has changed. And yet we still are on that urban agricultural, kind of blend. We still have quite a lot of agricultural properties as well, but more and more young families finding that not only is Langley affordable, but it’s a really great place to raise your kids.”
Polak held several cabinet portfolios in Gordon Campbell and Christy Clark’s governments, has won four consecutive elections in the riding, three of them by wide margins. She has served the riding since 2005.
In the 2017 election the BC NDP, riding a surge in support across Metro Vancouver, came closer than they have in years in Langley, though still trailed Polak by more than 2,300 votes.
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.
Transit is key campaign issue in the community. The current Surrey SkyTrain is not funded to go into Langley. The NDP and Liberals have indicated they would work the Mayors’ Council and the federal government to secure funding for the extension.
NDP leader John Horgan visited the riding during the campaign to talk about extending transit.
It was seen as a boost for NDP candidate Andrew Mercier, currently working as the executive director of the BC Building Trades. Mercier grew up in the riding, attending Langley Secondary School, and notes the riding and notes the riding is more diverse than ever.
“Langley is a community made up of several diverse neighbourhoods. Langley City is a quickly densifying, walkable community that is changing almost every day,” Mercier said.
“Brookswood is an established community where folks value their connection with the wooded environment. The Willoughby slope has experienced a tremendous development boom and is home to multitudes of young families. Since 2017, over 7,000 new residents call Langley home.”
Candidates
- BC Liberals: Mary Polak
- BC NDP: Andrew Mercier
- BC Conservatives: Shelly Jan
- BC Greens: Bill Masse
Swing riding meter
The BC Liberals have dominated Langley since the constituency was created.
In 2017, Polak won by a margin of 9.79 per cent. Twenty of B.C.’s 87 ridings had a closer margin of victory in 2017. It was the 11th closest of the 43 seats the BC Liberals won.
2017 election results
- BC Liberals: Mary Polak — 10,755 votes (44.4%)
- BC NDP: Gail Chaddock-Costello — 8,384 votes (34.61%)
- BC Greens: Elizabeth Walker — 3,699 votes (15.27%)
- BC Conservatives: Justin Greenwood — 1,221 votes (5.04%)
- Libertarian: Robert Pobran — 166 votes (0.68%)
This profile will continually be updated to reflect latest information, interviews and events in the campaign.
Find full B.C. 2020 provincial election coverage here.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, an unprecedented number of mail-in ballots were requested across B.C. this election. As mail-in ballots cannot be counted until after election night, these results are not final.
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