NDP successful with by-election victories

By-elections are never particularly kind to the party in power, normally they don’t provide much in the way of a balance of power shift and usually are found to be useful by the electorate (those that bother to vote in them) as a way of sending a message to the governing party.

Such is the case today, as the NDP claimed both seats in by elections held in Vancouver on Wednesday night.

NDP candidates Jenn McGinn and Spencer Herbert will both join the side of the opposition when the Legislature resumes sitting next month, McGinn defeated a high profile doctor in Vancouver Margaret MacDiarmid in Vancouver-Fairview, while over in Vancouver-Burrard, Herbert easily deflected the challenge from former Canuck’s and Grizzlies owner Arthur Griffiths, who has long been contemplating a jump into politics and now will have to decide if the jump is worth making again next year.

The two victories move the NDP seat total to thirty four, holding one and gaining the other, still well below the Liberals majority at 45 but regardless they are victories that provide a warning shot for Gordon Campbell that next years provincial election campaign may be a closer contest than the Liberals would like to think.

The two campaigns never really gathered much in the way of momentum, lost in the flow of the recently completed federal election and the much more inflamed nature of the various municipal campaigns around the Lower Mainland. There were no real issues of note, no great debate, instead it seemed as though the entire exercise was just a matter of picking somebody to fill in a spot, much like a bowling team might need a spare for a couple of Friday’s while the league runs out the schedule.

While victorious on Wednesday, both new MLA’s would be advised not to get too comfortable in their new digs and not to recycle those campaign lawn signs just yet. They will serve but seven months as members of the loyal opposition, destined to be back out on the hustings in May seeking to keep that which they claimed Wednesday night.

Vancouver Sun-- Premier concedes byelection races
Georgia Straight-- NDP's Carole James's affirmative action vindicated in Vancouver by-elections Globe and Mail-- Voters choose NDP candidates in B.C. by-elections