Stewart wins old job back as MLA for Kelowna West

The provincial riding of Kelowna West remains a loyal B.C. Liberal stronghold after voters gave Ben Stewart his old job back as their MLA. 

Final vote totals will still take hours but all signs point to another B.C. Liberal win. At 9:20 p.m. 4,000 votes were counted, representing 45 of 111 ballot boxes reporting, Stewart led by 54 per cent. 

The veteran politician brushed off challenges by B.C. NDP candidate Shelley Cook, B.C. Green candidate Robert Stupka, Libertarian Kyle Geronazzo and B.C. Conservative Mark Thompson. Some 6,000 votes were cast during advance polls out of a possible 43,583 registered voters to retain the seat.

Stewart was MLA from 2009 to 2013. He gave up the riding to Christy Clark so she could remain premier after losing her own race in Vancouver-Point Grey in her 2013 return to power.

The win by the B.C. Liberals was not unexpected. Both Christy Clark and Ben Stewart won in landslides in previous elections. The win doesn't swing any balance of power in the legislature, but it does bring the precarious lead by the NDP/Green alliance of 44 MLAs to just a one seat majority over the Liberals. 

We will have full details tomorrow. 

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