Tuesday December 8th, 2009 - NDP Wins New Westminster-Coquitlam Riding in By-Election

The November 9 by-election saw the federal New Democratic Party hold onto to the riding of New Westminster-Coquitlam in British Columbia, with Coquitlam councilor Fin Donnelly defeating Conservative Diana Dilworth. The Canadian Press dubbed Donnelly the winner, with 52 percent of all votes, approximately 45 minutes after the closing of the polls. Dilworth finished second in the by-election, Liberal party member Ken Beck Lee achieved third place and Green Party candidate Rebecca Helps took the fourth place.

Donnelly, who is executive director of the Rivershed Society of British Columbia, had been subjected to scrutiny when a public inquiry was proposed to investigate the meltdown of the sockeye salmon fishing industry. Runner-up Dilworth worked with the Fraser Basin Council since 2002.

The win by the NDP may determine the status of the harmonized sales tax, which the NDP and Liberals have rallied against.

It has been a close race between the NDP and Conservatives in recent years: NDP candidate Dawn Black defeated Conservative Yonah Martin by a small margin in 2008. Since then, Black departed the riding to campaign for the provincial NDP. Martin received an appointment to the Senate.

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