With the B.C. NDP and B.C. Conservatives neck and neck heading into election day on Saturday, there are also a record number of Independent candidates who — if voted in — could hold the balance of power in a minority government scenario.
British Columbians have only elected one Independent MLA in the last 60 years. Vicki Huntington won a seat in 2009 and was re-elected in 2013.
But University of the Fraser Valley political scientist Hamish Telford said the situation could be different this election cycle.
Of the 40 Independent candidates running, six of them are incumbent MLAs, who carry the benefit of name recognition in their community.
“So we’ve got Independents in this election who I think we could deem to be viable shots at actually winning a riding, which is not normal,” Telford said. “They’re still long shots, but they are certainly plausible candidates.”
One of those contenders, …