10:16 p.m.
NDP candidate Sylvia Lindgren conceded defeat, but praised her campaign volunteers for their efforts, saying they were going to continue their work to “lift people up.”
She expressed appreciation to her opponent Greg Kyllo, noting, “everyone who runs for public office deserves respect.”
Interest in the provincial race is still high for Shuswap NDP supporters, as the seat counts continue to see-saw between the NDP and Liberals.
9:41 p.m.
Re-elected MLA Greg Kyllo called this election a ‘marathon’ but says the win feels fantastic as he celebrated with supporters in the low-light party atmosphere of the former Java Jive Coffee Shop, as a band played in the background.
He praised Premier Christy Clark’s leadership and her tenacity in keeping him in politics.
“She wouldn’t take no for an answer when I was thinking about not running,” he told the Observer.
9:14 p.m.
And with just over an hour after the polls closed, Canadian Press is already declaring Liberal incumbent MLA Greg Kyllo as the winner of the Shuswap riding.
With 21 polls reporting, Kyllo has 2,200 votes, Lindgren has 1,100, Babcock has 629 and McCormack has 82 votes. With this margin, Kyllo is being declared elected in the Shuswap riding.
9:01 p.m.
Kyllo says the early numbers are encouraging but it’s too early to tell and he’s not taking anything for granted.
He says election night isn’t nearly as stressful second time around, because everything was new the first time.
“I’m a forward looking guy, but in this election I think it was really important to show the contrast between the BC Liberals and the NDP in the 90s and their fiscal record” he said.
There’s just a handful of supporters at the Shuswap NDP election headquarters so far.
Candidate Sylvia Lindgren hasn’t arrived yet.
Two of supporters are Rolf and Iris Haack. Rolf explains his interest in politics and the NDP, noting he grew up in Germany. At age 9, he visited a concentration camp. Two of his relatives died at the hands of Nazis, one because he was a pacifist, the other because he refused pressure to join the Nazi party.
Rolf said his family has always been politically involved and he learned, “If you don’t take care of politics, it will take care of you.”
He said the Germans learned that at a massive cost.
8:51 p.m.
With five polls reporting, Greg Kyllo already looking strong early on.
Kyllo (Liberal) 413
Lindgren (NDP) 153
Babcock (Green) 118
McCormack (Libertarian) 14
8:40 p.m.
With two polls reporting, Greg Kyllo already looking strong early on.
Kyllo (Liberal) 162
Lindgren (NDP) 44
Babcock (Green) 38
McCormack (Libertarian) 7
8:30 p.m.
The first polls coming in for Shuswap have Greg Kyllo with 107 votes, Kevin Babcock with the Greens at 24 votes, the NDP’s Sylvia Lindgren with 16 and Libertarian Kyle McCormack with two votes.
Election night 8:15 p.m.
Supporters have gathered at Greg Kyllo’s campaign office at the corner of the Trans-Canada Highway and Alexander Street in the former Java Jive Coffee Shop with televisions on and a band playing as they await results.
Kyllo is there with members of his family and is walking around chatting casually with supporters.
Things are currently quiet at the residence where Sylvia Lindgren is planning to spend election night, with a few supporters assembled but Lidgren is not planning to attend until a bit later in the evening.
Green Party member Kevin Babcock is taking up some tables at the Namaste Restaurant with some of his supporters to watch the results.
Libertarian Kyle McCormack did not reply to the Observer’s request to provide his location on election night.