Conservative Mark Strahl has earned a seat in a majority Conservative government under Stephen Harper.
Early on election night, unofficial results from Elections Canada gave Strahl a decisive grip on Chilliwack-Fraser Canyon, the riding that his father Chuck Strahl had held since 1993.
Some of that historic support did slip since the 2008 federal election, with the NDP’s Gwen O’Mahony narrowing the gap slightly between first and second.
However, Strahl still captured more than half of the votes cast; the NDP, 27 per cent.
Strahl admitted the controversy about the short nomination process, and criticism during the election campaign for not showing up at some all-candidates meeting gave him some nervous moments.
But those issues were “primarily something that was used by my opponents,” he said.
“For the people in this room, and the voters at the door, that wasn’t their concern,” he said. “Their concern was the economy, crime, health care ... and they addressed those issues at the polls.”
Liberal Diane Janzen was unable to capitalize on her popularity as a former Chilliwack city councillor. She finished a distant third with around 11 per cent of the vote.
The Green Party, meanwhile, finished fourth with roughly six per cent of the votes cast.
The Conservatives were declared in 167 ridings – a considerable cushion over the 155 needed to form a majority government.
The NDP’s orange wave swept through Quebec, washing away all but four of the Bloc Quebecois’ former 47 seats, and leaving the Liberals with just 35 of their 77. Jack Layton’s NDP improved to official opposition status, going from 36 seats to 102, and the Green party gained its first seat in Parliament.
• Mark Strahl garnered 57.2 percent of the popular vote in the Chilliwack Fraser Canyon riding.
Voter turnout in the riding was reported by Elections Canada at 58.8 per cent
• In Pitt Meadows-Maple Ridge-Mission, Conservative incumbent Randy Kamp was declared the winner in that riding, with 55 per cent of the vote.
• In the Okanagan-Coquihalla riding Conservative Dan Albas was declared the winner with 53.6 per cent of votes cast.
• Conservative candidate Dick Harris took the Cariboo-Prince George riding with 56.2 per cent of the votes cast.
• In the Kamloops-Thompson Cariboo riding, Conservative Cathy McLeod won the seat with 52.1 per cent
• In Abbotsford Conservative Ed Fast was returned to Ottawa, garnering 64.8 per cent of the votes in that riding.