Laanas Tamara Davidson will return to Victoria for a second term as MLA for North Coast-Haida Gwaii after securing more than 61 per cent of the vote in the Oct. 24 provincial election, despite a decisive Conservative victory across British Columbia.
According to preliminary results from Elections BC, Davidson received 4,051 votes, well ahead of Conservative candidate Rodney Proskiw, who received 1,901 votes. BC Green Party candidate Francis Racy finished third with 641 votes.
Davidson's 2,150-vote lead secured the riding for the NDP, which has represented the North Coast for decades. She was first elected in 2024 and served as minister of Environment and Parks until the legislature was dissolved on Sept. 22.
Across the province, the Conservatives emerged with a commanding majority, leading in 63 of B.C.'s 93 ridings following the initial count. The NDP led in 28 ridings, while the Greens held two.
The results mark a significant change for Davidson, who will return to the legislature as an opposition MLA rather than a member of the governing party.
In a Facebook statement following the election, Davidson thanked voters for their continued support.
"I am grateful to all the people living in North Coast Haida Gwaii that trusted me to keep fighting on their behalf. I go back to Victoria with a strong mandate," she wrote.
Davidson also acknowledged the NDP's losses across the province and the challenges ahead for the party.
"We lost some great leaders in the NDP ridings that were lost and we will come together and rebuild based on our core values."
She thanked more than 50 campaign volunteers for knocking on doors, making phone calls, putting up signs, baking treats and helping establish her campaign office. She also expressed appreciation for campaign donors and her family's support.
"Hope is not lost, we will come together to bring the light forward," Davidson wrote.
The change in government will also bring a period of transition in Victoria. Premier-designate Lorne Doerkson has indicated that a shortened fall sitting of the legislature remains possible, although no date has been announced.
Elections BC is scheduled to conduct its final count from Nov. 6 to 10, with certified results expected Nov. 18. Newly elected MLAs cannot be sworn in until those results are received by the legislature.
For North Coast-Haida Gwaii, Davidson's re-election provides continuity in representation, although her ability to advance local priorities will now depend on working from the opposition benches under a Conservative majority government.