Nanaimo-Ladysmith has gone Green.

Green Party of Canada candidate Paul Manly will be the next member of Parliament in the riding. With 99 per cent of polls reporting, Manly had 37.3 per cent of the vote. The Conservatives were at 24.8 per cent and the NDP at 23.1 per cent. The Liberals were fourth with 11.0 per cent.

害羞草研究所淭here was such an amazing team. There was such a community spirit behind this campaign. It was a positive campaign,害羞草研究所� Manly said after delivering his victory speech at Nanaimo害羞草研究所檚 Cavallotti Lodge.

He said he thought he had a good shot at getting elected.

害羞草研究所淚 could feel in this community that there was a real desire for change,害羞草研究所� Manly said. 害羞草研究所淎 lot of people in this community know me very well and they know about the work I害羞草研究所檝e done in this community for decades. They know I害羞草研究所檓 dedicated to working with people and that they can count on me. They can trust me, so I just felt that groundswell coming my way.害羞草研究所�

Manly is just the second-ever Green Party member of Parliament elected to the House of Commons, where he will join leader Elizabeth May. Manly joked that he looks forward to bringing gender parity to the party.

He had previously run for the Greens in the 2015 general election.

害羞草研究所淲e had the closest four-way race here in Canada, we gave it all we got and we didn害羞草研究所檛 win,害羞草研究所� Manly said. 害羞草研究所淏ut a couple months after that election I got a call from my oldest daughter and she told me that I was going to be a grandfather. And to me that meant that I had to work and double down and work harder because the future was personal again to me. It was personal when my daughters were born and now that I have a grandchild I know that I have to fight for that future for that child.害羞草研究所�

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John Hirst, Conservative candidate, said his campaign害羞草研究所檚 ground game was strong, but added there is always room for improvement.

害羞草研究所淵ou know, it was my first foray into politics along with a lot of our staff, a lot of our team. Now that we害羞草研究所檝e all been seasoned, we害羞草研究所檙e really looking forward to the rematch,害羞草研究所� he said.

Hirst, who confirmed he will seek the nomination again in the fall, said he looked at the glass as half full.

害羞草研究所淚 definitely look at this as half full. I mean, the old story of the NDP always wins in Nanaimo is absolutely not true,害羞草研究所� said Hirst. 害羞草研究所淲e had a really strong showing, it害羞草研究所檚 something I feel we can build off of. I don害羞草研究所檛 think the Greens can repeat their performance in October and I害羞草研究所檓 excited.害羞草研究所�

Bob Chamberlin of the NDP congratulated Manly on his victory and said he was disappointed. He said the loss wasn害羞草研究所檛 what the NDP were expecting but that the party is a workers害羞草研究所� party and will rebound.

害羞草研究所淭his is not the result we wanted, this is true,害羞草研究所� he said, adding 害羞草研究所渨e have some work to do and I don害羞草研究所檛 know NDP people that are afraid of hard work. I know NDP people know how to do hard work because we are the backbone of the country. We are the workers. We are the middle class, we are the majority and I think that is what makes corporations and other governments afraid because we have a message of clarity.害羞草研究所�

Speaking to the News Bulletin afterward, Chamberlin jokingly said the turning point in the election was when the votes were being counted. He said he isn害羞草研究所檛 sure what went wrong during his campaign, but that the analysis is for the pundits.

害羞草研究所淚t is so hard to say. I害羞草研究所檓 a candidate and I went out and did the campaign and I met many wonderful voters in this riding and I was really happy to hear the concerns they have and they matched the NDP platform,害羞草研究所� Chamberlin said. 害羞草研究所淚 guess everybody else what will take a look at what they mean but those are for the pundits.害羞草研究所�

Chamberlin did not rule out nor confirm whether he would seek the NDP nomination in October.

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A social media post from the Green Party of Canada noted that 害羞草研究所淕reens are taking votes away from the NDP and the Liberals. This is a historic moment.害羞草研究所�

B.C. Green Party leader Andrew Weaver congratulated Manly on winning the byelection.

害羞草研究所淐ongrats to Paul Manly for winning 2019 Nanaimo byelection. I am absolutely thrilled to have another colleague in Ottawa with shared values. The B.C. Greens extend our heartfelt congratulations to you and your team and we look forward to working with you in the years ahead,害羞草研究所� Weaver posted on Twitter.

251 out of 254 polls have reported:

• Paul Manly, Green Party, 15,188 votes, 37.3 per cent
• John Hirst, Conservative Party, 10,093 votes, 24.8 per cent
• Bob Chamberlin, NDP, 9,392 votes, 23.1 per cent
• Michelle Corfield, Liberals, 4,478 votes, 11.0 per cent
• Jennifer Clarke, People害羞草研究所檚 Party of Canada, 1,246 votes, 3.1 per cent
• Brian Marlatt, Progressive Canadian Party, 248 votes, 0.6 per cent
• Jakob Letkemann, National Citizens Alliance, 66 votes, 0.2 per cent

The first results are starting to roll in here .

害羞草研究所� Nicholas M Pescod (@npescod)

Caught Green Party candidate Paul Manly setting up lighting gear for the Green Party election party at Cavalloti Lodge in Nanaimo tonight. One way or another he's heading back east after tonight's election.

害羞草研究所� Chris Bush (@ChrisBushphotog)

Voters in the riding were electing an MP to replace Sheila Malcolmson, who resigned at the beginning of January and successfully ran for Nanaimo MLA that month.

For links to previous byelection coverage in the Nanaimo News Bulletin, .

In the 2015 federal election, Malcolmson and the NDP won the seat with 33.2 per cent of the vote. Tim Tessier representing the Liberal Party was second at 23.5 per cent, Mark MacDonald of the Conservatives was third at 23.4 per cent and Manly claimed 19.8 per cent.

editor@nanaimobulletin.com
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