It was a close race in Burnaby North, with final results not in by press time. But B.C. Liberal candidate Richard Lee stayed ahead of B.C. NDP candidate Janet Routledge by a thin margin of votes throughout the evening.
That gap widened toward the end of the night, with Lee coming in at 5,637 votes to Routledge's 4,975 votes after 108 of 129 ballot box results were reported.
"We are optimistic on the numbers," Lee said at about 10 p.m. "I would like to thank all thee volunteers for helping me - they don't eat, they don't sleep sometimes."
Lee, who has held the riding since 2001, had a handful of volunteers at his campaign office on Tuesday night. He watched the computer screens along with his wife, Anne, early in the evening, smiling with a sense of suppressed optimism.
While the Burnaby results had not yet trickled in at that point, Lee said the B.C. Liberals' numbers overall were encouraging.
"This riding is always close," he told media and supporters, adding he expected to be waiting until at least 11 p.m. for final results.
"It's going to be a long night, Richard," his campaign manager said.
At B.C. NDP candidate Janet Routledge's office, the mood was more boisterous early on.
While Routledge was not on hand for most of the evening, more than 30 supporters and volunteers gathered in the lowly lit office to watch the race on a large TV.
But as the evening wore on, the tone in the office was one of consternation and concern.
While supporters cheered when B.C. NDP candidate David Eby pulled ahead of Christy Clark in Vancouver-Point Grey at one point, there were sighs of disappointment as the gap between Lee and Routledge grew.
B.C. Green Party candidate Carrie McLaren came in at 858 votes as of press time. B.C. Conservative candidate Wayne Marklund came in at 356 votes as of press time.
- By Janaya Fuller-Evans, staff reporter
