Monday's final counting has confirmed the results from election night in the Maple Ridge East riding – that Conservative candidate Lawrence Mok unseated NDP incumbent MLA Bob D'Eith in a close race.
The Conservative had led by 327 votes after election night, and that margin of victory shrunk to just 96 votes as the mail-in and absentee votes were counted.
"I want to thank the voters of Maple Ridge East for their great support," said Mok. "I also want everyone in my riding of Maple Ridge East to know that I am here to work for you.
"Both provincially and in Maple Ridge East it has been a close election race. What is not in doubt, is my commitment to be the best MLA I can possibly be for my constituents."
The complete vote count has Mok winning 12,056 votes to 11,960 for D'Eith. Running a distant third was Kylee Williams of the BC Green Party with 1,626 votes.
The final count showed the NDP with the minimum number of votes needed to form a majority government, with 47 seats.
D'Eith conceded on Monday that Mok had won the election.
"With every vote now counted, I'd like to congratulate my opponent, Lawrence Mok, on his victory," said D'Eith. "This was a very close race, and it highlighted the extent to which every vote does truly matter."
D'Eith also thanked the staff at Elections BC for "exemplary work" in tallying the vote, and also his campaign team.
"This wasn't the result we wanted, but I know that every single one of you gave your all," said D'Eith to his party workers.
"It was the honour of my life to serve the people of Maple Ridge and Mission over the past two terms of government. We achieved a great deal together and I know that the future is bright for our communities."
Asked whether he believes he could have won the riding if the Green Party had not run a candidate, D'Eith offered "no comment."
There will not be a judicial recount in Maple Ridge East, despite the close election, explained a spokesperson from Elections BC.
"If after the conclusion of final count the difference between the top two candidates in a district is less than 1/500th of the total ballots considered, there is an automatic judicial recount in that district," explained Andrew Watson. "There will be automatic judicial recounts in Surrey-Guildford and Kelowna Centre."
Maple Ridge East is a new riding that stretches from the centre of Maple Ridge, with 224th Street as its westernmost boundary, east through Mission's Silverdale neighbourhood, with Silverdale Creek its eastern border. It also takes in much of Stave lake and the Steelhead area of Mission in the north reaches of the riding.
