In a surprising victory, provincial NDP candidate George Chow has claimed the Vancouver Fraserview riding, the first time the party has held the seat since 1996.
Chow beat out Liberal incumbent Suzanne Anton, who’s been attorney general and minister of justice since she was elected in 2013. Anton Former Vancouver Police chief Kash Heed held the riding as a Liberal from 2009 to 2013, taking over from Liberal Wally Oppal who was elected in 2005.
Unofficial polling results show Chow captured 48 per cent of the votes, with the Liberals at 43 per cent and the Greens at 8 per cent.
The last time the NDP won in the riding was when Ian Waddell held the seat from 1996 to 2001, which could explain the frequent visits NDP leader John Horgan made recently to Vancouver Fraserview. Horgan’s numerous appearances in the community included Vaisakhi celebrations in April, at rallies supporting Chow on May 7 and on election day.
Also showing his support for Chow was Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson, who also publically endorsed George Heyman, the NDP candidate for Vancouver Fairview, who was also re-elected. Robertson had said he was concerned a provincial Liberal win would mean long-awaited transit projects, including the Broadway subway line, could be postponed. Robertson was not the only member of Vision Vancouver to support Chow. On election day, many Vision Vancouver members and politicians did what they could to get their former colleague elected. In the 2013 provincial election, Chow, a former two-term Vision city councillor, ran unsuccessfully in the riding of Vancouver Langara.
Chow ran on the NDP’s platform including affordability, which would include abolishing Medical Services Plan fees, building 114,000 rental and co-op homes, providing renters an annual home credit of $400 and $10 a day childcare. Chow and the NDP also campaigned on more funding for education, faster access to medical care and a promise to create jobs and increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour.
Meanwhile the Green Party’s Eric Kolotyluk came in third in the riding. The Greens have not traditionally done well in Vancouver Fraserview, never winning more than eight per cent of the vote. Last week, the Green Party’s Stuart Mackinnon endorsed Chow and the NDP for his home riding of Vancouver Fraserview. The sitting park board commissioner was the Green Party’s candidate in the riding in the last provincial election.
