An elated Linda Larson shares a victory moment with Oliver Mayor Ron Hovanes Tuesday night after realizing she is the new Liberal MLA for Boundary-Similkameen.
Richard McGuire photo
Voters of Boundary-Similkameen decisively elected Liberal Linda Larson Tuesday in a provincial election that swept her party back to a majority government.
Larson was leading with more than 46 per cent of the vote to NDP Candidate Sam Hancheroff’s 39 per cent with 122 of 124 polls reporting when the Osoyoos Times went to press.
“I had an extremely strong team of women,” a jubilant Larson told supporters as they toasted her victory and the Liberals’ surprisingly strong showing at the Silver Sage Winery south of Oliver. “If it hadn’t been for a handful of women, we would never have to this moving and up off the ground.”
Provincially, the Liberals appeared headed for a majority with 50 seats to the NDP’s 33. One seat each went to the Green Party and an independent.
In Boundary-Similkameen, with 122 polls reporting, Larson had 7,523 votes, Hancheroff had 6,403, Green Party Candidate John Kwasnica had 1,448, independent Mischa Popoff had 583 and independent Doug Pederson had 335.
Besides having an enthusiastic team of women, Larson attributes her win to being better known in the riding than the other candidates and having a clear Liberal message she could take to voters.
Larson has served a number of years on Oliver town council, including a period as mayor, and she has been active on a number of local boards and committees – positions she will now gladly give up.
“We have a good strong message,” she said. “It’s very simple, and if we stick to it, I trusted the common sense of the people of British Columbia.”
The emphasis on a strong economy, she said, was easy to campaign with and she could keep her message short and clear at the doors.
“We’re not going to throw money at you, but we’re not going to take money away from you,” she told voters.
“I think the NDP shot itself in the foot by being scattered,” she said.
Despite her criticism of the NDP’s message, she praised her local opponents and thanked each of them “for being gentlemen.”
Larson said she hasn’t given a lot of thought to her new life as an MLA, which will require frequent travel back and forth to Victoria and periods away from her husband Larry.
She said she is used to frequent travel with the boards and committees she sits on and said her husband pulls his weight looking after her aging mother at their home.
Larson had taken an extended leave of absence from Oliver town council after announcing her candidacy for the provincial election.
Hancheroff was gracious in defeat, saying he ran a good campaign with excellent people working for him.
The former teacher and longtime school board trustee said he wouldn’t have done anything different to win more votes because he worked really hard.
“I’m not a loser (in this election). I gained a lot of knowledge and experience.”
Hancheroff said he believed he had the skills to help people with their problems and to provide solutions, particularly in the agriculture and education sectors.
Hancheroff said he tried to get in touch with Larson Tuesday night to congratulate her, but wasn’t able to connect with the new MLA.
“I think she ran a great campaign.”
He said Larson’s challenge now is to promote ideas to provide the jobs that are needed in this area.
But he expressed his concern that British Columbians have to wake up to another four years of Liberal leadership under Christy Clark and the debt she has created.
When asked if he would run again, he said he didn’t think so.
He gave this election his best shot, and at age 65, Hancheroff said he wants to spend more time with his family.
John Kwasnica, who took his first step into the political arena by gaining the nomination for the Green Party, said he was pleased to have captured almost 10 per cent of the popular vote.
Richard McGuire
Special to the Chronicle
