The BC NDP has made a major breakthrough in the Fraser Valley, capturing the riding of Langley, Global News projects.
NDP candidate Andrew Mercier defeated longtime Liberal incumbent Mary Polak.
The New Democrats saw opportunity in the riding after coming within 2,300 votes in the 2017 election — their best performance there in years.
Demographic changes and urbanization appear to have made the area more receptive to the NDP’s message on childcare and transit.
Leader John Horgan had unveiled a marquee promise to ensure a SkyTrain extension is completed all the way to Langley City Centre during the campaign. Current funding would only have taken the project out to Fleetwood in Surrey.
Mercier currently serves as executive director of BC Building Trades, and grew up in the riding.
It is a significant blow to the BC Liberals, who were counting on holding the usually reliable riding in their quest to knock the NDP out of office.
Polak held several cabinet portfolios in the Gordon Campbell and Christy Clark governments. She won four consecutive elections — three of them by wide margins — and served there since 2005.
You can find a full list of ridings and results here, and full B.C. 2020 provincial election coverage here.
Candidates
- BC Liberals: Mary Polak
- BC NDP: Andrew Mercier
- BC Conservatives: Shelly Jan
- BC Greens: Bill Masse
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%)
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.