Liberals Re-Elected in British Columbia (And Why That's a Good Thing)

The Liberal Party in British Columbia on Canada's Left Coast has been re-elected to a third term in office. Gordon Campbell remains the Premier of B.C. (which is basically the equivalent of a state Governor.) As of this writing, the Liberals have been elected or are leading in 48 seats while the New Democratic Party (NDP) under Carole James has been elected or is leading in 37 seats.

Don't let the Liberal Party name fool you. The Liberal Party in B.C. has nothing to do with the Liberal Party in Ottawa. When the Social Credit Party collapsed following the 1991 provincial elections which saw the NDP come to power; conservatives of all stripes coalesced around the Liberal Party. The Liberals came to power in 2001 under Campbell, a former mayor of Vancouver. Over the past eight years, the Liberals have cut taxes, kept spending in check and have reined in public sector unions.

There is a Conservative Party in B.C. but historically it has never been able to gain much traction. Tonight, it received 2% of the popular vote and did not gain any seats. Meanwhile, the Liberals won nearly 46% of the popular vote.