Port Moody Coquitlam By-election

With a by-election coming and the news that recently retired Port Moody mayor Joe Trasolini will be the NDP candidate, it is time to take a look at the history of the riding.

2009 was the first time the Port Moody Coquitlam riding existed in a BC election.   In 2001 and 2005 most of the current riding was part of Port Moody Westwood .  In 1991 to 1996 the riding of Port Moody Burnaby Mountain covered more or less the same area as the current riding but included the Burnaby Mountain area.

2009 Election result

• Liberal Iain Black      9467 52.29%
• NDP     Shannon Watkins 7188 39.70%
• Green   Rebecca Helps   1201  6.63%
• YPP     James Filippelli 172  0.95%

2005 Election results within the boundaries used in 2009

• BC Liberals 54.5%
• NDP 37.4%
• Greens 6.1%
• Others 2.1%

2005 Port Moody Westwood

• Liberal Iain Black 14161 53.75%
• NDP Karen Rockwell  9848 37.38%
• Green Kathy Heisler 1670  6.34%
• YPP James Filippelli 442  1.68%
• Ind Arthur Crossman  227  0.86%

2001 Port Moody Westwood

1. Liberal Christy Clark 16500 74.64%
2. NDP Brian Revel        4178 18.90%
3. MP Graeme Smecher      1428  6.46%

1996 Port Moody Burnaby Mountain 

• Liberal Christy Clark 10272 44.73%
• NDP Jamie Ross         9804 42.69%
• PDA Margaret Connor    1408  6.13%
• Reform Diane Friesen   1039  4.52%
• Green Oz Catt           441  1.92%

1991 Port Moody Burnaby Mountain

• NDP Barbara Coping    9821 45.62%
• Liberal Andrew Forest 8091 37.59%
• SocCred Ed Billows    3450 16.03%
• Green Coleen Hennig    151  0.70%
• CL Robert Demorest      14  0.06%

The referendum to repeal the HST:
Yes 9677 50.85% No 9353 49.15%  turnout of 19030, which is higher than the 2009 election turnout
The campaign to repeal the HST collected 5917 verfieid signatures

Joe Trasolini's elections as mayor of Port Moody

1999
Joe Trasolini 3088
Jan Jasiesnczyk 1861

2002
Joe Trasolini 3558
Rick Marusyk 2091

2005
Joe Trasolini acclamation

2008
Joe Trasolini 2780
Shane Kennedy 1354
Arthur Crossman 124

The riding has been safer Liberal ground for some time, and by that I mean Liberal and not BC free enterprise location .   This was marginal ground for Social Credit in the past.  

So what is the impact of the NDP managing to get a fairly strong candidate?

Will the BC Conservatives run here and will they put efforts into the campaign?   I do not see this as being an area where they can do well.  Running and getting only 5-10% would hardly signal that the party was ready to be a threat to anything.