10 Longest Serving BC Premiers - #9 is Christy Clark but no NDP premiers make the list

The list

10 - Simon Fraser Tolmie Consevative 1928-33
9 - Christy Clark Liberal 2011-current
8 - George Anthony Walkem non-partisan 1874-76, 1878-82
7 - John Hart Colition (Liberal) 1941-47
6 - Duff Pattullo Liberal 1933-41
5 - John Oliver Liberal 1918-27
4 - Gordon Campbell Liberal 2001-11
3 - Bill Bennett Social Credit 1975-86
2 - Richard McBride Conservative 1903-1912
1 - WAC Bennett Social Credit 1952-1972

Gary Holman of the NDP was elected with less than 1/3 of the vote

In Saanich North the Islands New Democrat Gary Holman was elected with a very narrow margin, only 379 voters between first and third and a lead of only 1.2 percentage points.  The consequence is that Gary Holman was elected by less than 1/3 of the voters and this is not a common occurrence in BC, only 24 times in over 2100 campaigns in ridings since 1871.

In total 30 candidates have been elected in BC with less than 34% of the vote::

1. 28.68% Andrew McCreight Creery Prov Party Vancouver City 1924 (multi)
2. 29.94% Ian MacKenzie Liberal Vancouver City 1924 (multi)
3. 30.07% Donald Brothers Social Credit Rossland Trail 1958 by
4. 30.34% David Strachan Liberal Dewdney 1933
5. 30.90% Christopher McRae Liberal Vanccouver City 1924 (multi)
6. 31.11% Gordon Gibson Liberal North Vancouver Capilano 1974 by
7. 31.22% Franics Browne Canadian Labour Party Burnaby 1924
8. 31.26% Cyril Davie Conservative Cowichan Newcastle 1924
9. 31.24% Irvince Corbett Social Credit Yale 1960
10. 31.34% John Melvin Bryan Liberal North Vancouver 1924
11. 31.68% Victor Odlum Liberal Vancouver City 1924 (multi)
12. 31.89% Jack Wesigerber Reform Peace River South 1996
13. 32.00% David Anderson Liberal Victoria 1972 (multi)
14. 32.19% Gerald Anderson NDP Kamloops 1972 
15. 32.23% Dorothy Steeves CCP North Vancouver 1937
16. 32.38% Newell Morrison Liberal Victoria 1972 (multi)
17. 32.63% William Asselstine Liberal Atlin 1933
18. 32.83% Thomas Menzies People's Party Comox 1920
19. 32.89% Colin Gabelmann NDP North Vancouver Seymour 1972
20. 32.93% Leonard Shepherd CCF Delta 1937
21. 33.20% Kenneth MacDonald Liberal North Okanagan 1924
22. 33.27% Gary Holman NDP Saanich North and the Islands 2013
23. 33.46% Frank Putnam Liberal Nelson Creston 1941
24. 33.58% Samuel Guthrie CCF Cowichan Newcastle 1937
25. 33.76% Joseph Clearihue Liberal Victoria 1920 (multi)
26. 33.77% Donald Robinson Social Credit Lillooet 1963
27. 33.90% James Gorst NDP Esquimalt 1972 
28. 33.93% Allan Williams Liberal West Vancouver Howe Sound 1972
29. 33.93% John Melvin Bryan Liberal Mackenzie 1937
30. 33.97% Jackie Pement NDP Bulkley Valley Stikine 1991

Candidates on this list in the last 40 years are in bold and underlined

BC long had multi member ridings, the results shown here are the actual percentage multiplied by the number of candidates to be elected as an equivilent to a single member election. 

Results for 1952 and 1953 elections are not listed because a preferential ballot was used

The results in Saanich North the Islands in 2013 are very much out of snyc with the norm of elections in BC, especially in the last 40 years.

By Party

Liberals     14

NDP/CCF/CLP  10

Socred/Reform 4

Others        3

The results clump by election with 18 of 30 being in one of three elections

Election

1924  8 of 48

1972  6 of 55

1937  4 of 48

By-elect 3

1920  2 of 47

1933  2 of 48

1941  1 of 48

1960  1 of 52

1963  1 of 52

1991  1 of 75

1996  1 of 75

2013  1 of 85

Out of the last 13 elections, only in three of them does someone make this list.

 The 1924 election saw three strong parties contest it.  In 1972 four parties managed to win seats and the two smallest ones had regional strength.   1937 also saw three strong parties but 1941 was even closer but did only had one result on this list.  

What will 2017 bring?   If the Green Party is stronger and serious party on the right emerges, the chances of candidates winning with less than 1/3 of the vote becomes much more likely.   

Closest Three-way Race I know of - Nelson Creston 1941

The 2013 Saanich North and the Islands election results were very close but not the closest we have seen in BC.  The 1941 election in Nelson Creston was decided by only 20 votes between first and third and 0.31 percentage points.  Saanich North the Islands the range for first to third was 379 votes and 1.2 percentage points

In the 1941 election the results for Nelson Creston where as follows

Frank Putnam              Lib  2,144 33.458%
Martin Cathcart Donaldson Cons 2,140 33.396%
Frank Frisby              CCF  2,124 33.146%

20 votes total between first and third and there were 89 spoiled ballots

The riding was a close race in 1937 as well between the Liberals and Conservatives with Frank Putnam winning with 39.2% of the vote.

In 1945 Frank Putnam won by a huge margin over the CCF as a Coalition candidate.

Government changes in Canada since World War II

In the 68 years since the end of World War II Canada has had a surprisingly few changes in government

8- Quebec - 4 Liberal, 3 PQ, 2 Union Nationale
7 - Federal goverment - 4 Liberal, 4 PC/CPC
7 - New Brunswick - 4 Liberal, 4 PC
6 - Manitoba - 3 NDP, 3 PC, 1 Liberal
6  - PEI - 4 Liberal, 3 PC
6 - Nova Scotia - 3 Liberal, 3 PC, 1 NDP
6 - British Columbia - 2 NDP, 2 Liberal, 2 Social Credit, 1 Coalition - in January 1952 the PCs left the Coalition government and the Liberals governed with a minority for another eight months
6 - Yukon - 2 PC, 2 NDP, 1 Yukon, 1 Liberal, 1 NA - Yukon had their first elected responsible government in 1978, before that they were ruled directly by the federal government, I count this as a change in government
5 - Saskatchewan - 3 CCF/NDP, 1 Liberal, 1 PC, 1 Sask party
4 - Newfoundland and Labrador - 2 Liberal, 2 PC, 1 NA - in 1949 Newfoundland changed from direct rule from London to responsible government which I count as a change of government
4 - Ontario - 2 PC, 2 Liberal, 1 NDP
1 - Alberta - 1 Social Credit, 1 PC

The longest governments since World War II, including governments in power before 1945

1. 15,290 days Ontario PCs - 1943 to 1985
2. 15,252 days Alberta PCs - 1971 still in office
3. 13,157 days Alberta Social Credit - 1935 to 1971
4. 9,208 days Nova Scotia Liberals - 1933 to 1958
5. 8,801 days PEI Liberals - 1935 to 1959
6. 83,28 days Newfoundland Liberals - 1949 to 1972
7. 7,913 days Federal Liberals - 1935 to 1957
8. 7,351 days BC Social Creidt - 1952 to 1972
9. 7,257 days Saskatchewan CCF - 1944 to 1964
10. 6,318 days Newfoundland PCs - 1972 to 1989
11. 6,194 days New Brunswick PCs - 1970 to 1987
12. 5,888 days Federal Liberals - 1963 to 1979
13. 5,865 days Saskatchewan NDP - 1991 to 2007
14. 5,828 days Quebec Union Nationale - 1944 to 1960
15. 5,798 days BC Social Credit - 1975 to 1991