Taylor Bachrach held Terrace for the New Democratic Party in the Oct. 21 federal election but lost Thornhill to Conservative candidate Claire Rattée, poll by poll results released by Elections Canada indicate.
Bachrach, who won the Skeena - Bulkley Valley riding overall, collected 1,698 votes to 1,396 for Rattée within Terrace, a slimmer victory than was achieved by NDPer Nathan Cullen in the 2015 federal election.
Thornhill was a different story this time compared to 2015 with Rattée taking 745 votes to Bachrach’s 641.
As was the case in 2015, Kitsumkalum stayed NDP — 143 votes for Bachrach and 26 for Rattée.
The poll taking in Kitselas and area registered 100 votes for Bachrach and 66 for Rattée.
The Lakelse Lake area poll saw 60 people vote for Rattée and 42 for Bachrach.
In Rosswood, Bachrach took 33 votes with 27 for Rattée.
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Bachrach was the overwhelming choice for polls in the Nass Valley, taking 457 votes to 22 for Rattée.
Third-place finisher Liberal candidate Dave Birdi took 560 votes in Terrace, 216 in Thornhill, 12 at Kitsumkalum, 21 in the Kitselas poll and 17 at Lakelse Lake, 10 at Rosswood and 48 in the Nass Valley.
Mike Sawyer from the Green Party, the fourth-place finisher, had 244 votes in Terrace, 98 in Thornhill, 11 in Kitsumkalum, 18 at Kitselas, and 2 at Lakelse Lake, 8 at Rosswood and 40 in the Nass Valley.
Next up was Rod Taylor from the Christian Heritage Party who collected 90 votes in Terrace, 21 in Thornhill, 7 at Kitsumkalum, 3 at Kitselas, 1 at Lakelse Lake, 1 at Rosswood and 6 in the Nass Valley.
In Terrace, 89 people voted for Jody Craven from the People’s Party at Canada, 57 in Thornhill, 3 at Kitsumkalum, 3 at Usk, 2 at Lakelse, 2 at Rosswood and 16 in the Nass.
Trailing at a distance within this area was independent Danny Nunes who collected 23 votes with another independent, Merv Ritchie, taking 24 votes.
Across the riding Bachrach received 16,944 votes or 40.9 per cent of the turnout with Rattée collecting 13,756 votes for 33.2 per cent of the turnout. Birdi ran third with 4,793 votes or 11.6 per cent of the turnout with Sawyer coming in fourth with 3,280 votes or 7.9 per cent of the turnout. Taylor was next with 1,350 votes or 3.3 per cent while Craven gathered 940 votes or 2.3 per cent. Independent Nunes collected 164 votes for .4 per cent while Ritchie, the other independent, had 157 votes for .4 per cent.
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All told, there were 41,384 votes cast with 267 being rejected. With 66,421 electors on the voters list, the turn out was 62.7 per cent, a drop from the 68.26 per cent turn out in 2015.
The 2015 election was easily won by New Democrat Nathan Cullen who collected 51.1 per cent of the popular vote overall, or 22,531 votes, for his fifth victory since his first election win in 2004. Conservative Tyler Nesbitt received 10,936 votes or 24.8 per cent, while Liberal Brad Layton collected 8,257 votes or 18.7 per cent of the popular vote.
Green candidate Jeannie Parnell collected 1,605 votes for 3.6 per cent of the popular vote while the Christian Heritage Party’s Don Spratt came last with 780 votes, or 1.8 per cent of the popular vote.
Cullen announced this March that he would not run again, opening the way for a New Democratic Party nomination race won by Bachrach. With his victory now in hand, Bachrach will be resigning from his post as Mayor of Smithers, triggering a byelection next year.
Rattée, a tattoo parlour business owner from Kitimat and former municipal councillor in that community, won the Conservative nomination this spring by defeating Jody Craven who then went on to become the People’s Party of Canada candidate.
Advance polling numbers this election were up slightly from 2015 — 8,898 this time compared to 8,694 last time.