Conservative Party of BC candidate Monica Mohan will be Delta North’s MLA.
With all 70 polls reporting in, Mohan has a 13 per cent lead over BC NDP candidate Todd Schierling, bringing an end to his party’s nine-and-a-half-year hold in North Delta.
Mohan garnered 9,790 votes (53.463%) to Schierling’s 7,417 (40.48%), while Kuldeep Rangi with CentreBC got 1,062 (5.80%).
A total of 18,269 valid ballots were cast, plus 55 that were rejected.
As of Oct. 14, Elections BC counted 36,571 registered voters in Delta North. Based on that figure, voter turnout in the riding through advance voting and election night was 50.11 per cent.
Saturday night’s results are preliminary and will be verified during the final count, which is planned for Nov. 6-10.
EDITOR’s NOTE: Normally, this is the part of the story where you would read a quote from the winning candidate on election night, saying how exciting the win is, how they can’t wait to get started, and where we would ask them what they plan to tackle first.
However, on Thursday, Mohan asked “that there be no media coverage or media presence during election night,” and while the North Delta Reporter did not agree to her request, we have been unable to contact her since.
If/when we do manage to speak with Mohan, we will update this story.
According to her official bio on the Conservative Party website, Monica Mohan is a practicing lawyer and North Delta resident who was born and raised in Vancouver to an immigrant family with roots in India and Fiji — in addition to English, she is fluent in Punjabi and Hindi.
“Her family background has shaped her appreciation for diverse communities and given her an understanding of the challenges families can encounter, including the barriers they may face as they build their lives in Canada,” her bio states.
Mohan graduated with honours from Pennsylvania State University with a degree in administration of justice before pursuing her law degree in the United States, where she was awarded an academic scholarship. Her professional experience in law, public service and community organizations, which according to her bio has shaped her perspective on issues affecting individuals, families and communities.
Before becoming a lawyer, Mohan worked in civilian roles with the Vancouver Police Department and the Guelph Police Service, gaining firsthand exposure to the criminal justice system. She has also worked as a victim advocate and sexual assault counsellor, “supporting individuals from diverse backgrounds through difficult circumstances and helping them accessing complex legal systems.”
“Monica is committed to access to justice, meaningful community engagement, and ensuring that people feel heard and understood when navigating public institutions and systems. Her professional and community experiences have reinforced her belief in the importance of public service, accountability and practical solutions to the challenges facing individuals and families,” her bio states.
“As a lawyer and community-minded professional, Monica brings a perspective grounded in legal experience, service, advocacy, and a desire to contribute meaningfully to her community.”
More to come…
Meanwhile in Delta South, Conservative incumbent Ian Paton will serve a fourth term as MLA.
With all 80 ballot boxes counted, Paton has 14,464 votes (59.78%), more than double that of BC NDP candidate Jason McCormick (6,916, or 28.58%).
Skadi Green with the BC Green Party has 1,986 votes (8.21%), while Jim McMurtry with OneBC has 799 (3.30%).
As of Oct. 14, there were 41,832 registered provincial voters in Delta South. Using that figure and preliminary results from election night, voter turnout in the riding through advanced voting and final voting day was 57.85 per cent.
In total, there were 78,403 voters registered with Elections BC in Delta’s two ridings as of Oct. 14 — 122 more than were registered to vote in Delta’s municipal elections a week prior.
Voter turnout in the civic elections was 43.28 per cent. Preliminary numbers on Saturday show total local turnout for the provincial election was about 54.24 per cent.