Josie Osborne has officially been elected as the next MLA for the Mid Island-Pacific Rim riding.
According to the final results from Elections BC, NDP candidate Osborne received 14,298 votes, for 58 percent of the popular vote.
Green Party candidate Evan Jolicoeur came in second with 4,991 votes, followed by BC Liberal Party candidate Helen Poon with 4,291 votes.
Osborne was declared the winner for the riding on election night (Oct. 24), but had to wait for thousands of mail-in ballots to be counted before the results were made official.
“Thank you, Mid Island-Pacific Rim, for giving me a solid mandate to represent you in the BC Legislature,” Osborne posted on social media after the results were announced on Nov. 8. “I am excited to join 86 other passionate and committed individuals to serve British Columbia, and I am honoured and humbled to be the person who will represent this incredible region.
“Thank you once again to the incredible team of people who supported me and believed in me—and to all candidates and voters for participating in our province’s democracy.”
This means Osborne will be stepping down as mayor of Tofino. A municipal by-election is expected to take place in the new year.
READ MORE: Final ballot count confirms British Columbia’s NDP increased seat count to 57
The final provincial ballot count confirmed that the BC NDP will have a majority government, with 57 of 87 seats in the legislature. The BC Liberals won 28 seats, one of which is pending a judicial recount because the race was so close, and the Greens held two.