Conservatives' stunning rise leaves B.C. voters with a once-unimaginable choice
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The B.C. Conservatives, whose party won less than two per cent of the vote last election, stand on the brink of forming government or, at least, becoming the official Opposition, with Leader John Rustad challenging New Democrat incumbent David Eby to be premier.
Polls are now open in British Columbia, where voters in today's provincial election face a choice that would have been unthinkable just a few months ago.
The B.C. Conservatives, whose party won less than two per cent of the vote last election, stand on the brink of forming government or, at least, becoming the official Opposition, with Leader John Rustad challenging New Democrat incumbent David Eby to be premier.
Rustad's unlikely rise came after he was thrown out of the Opposition, then known as the BC Liberals, joined the Conservatives as leader, and steered them to a level of popularity that led to the collapse of his old party, now called BC United — all in just two years.
Mike McDonald, co-host of the Hotel Pacifico podcast on B.C. politics and a former chief of staff for then-premier Christy Clark, said he was expecting a "very close, nail-biter" election.
"We saw that in 2017, where the fate of British Columbia's government was decided on one seat in the Comox Valley that was won by (the NDP by) 189 votes," he said.
"The real message here for British Columbians is, if you want to see a particular outcome in this election, you've got to get out … and vote."
More than a million already had, even before polls opened. The advance voting record was smashed, with more than 28 per cent of all registered electors voting early, potentially putting the province on track for a big final turnout.
