The 2009 British Columbia election marked a rare political milestone for the province's government
In short: Held on May 12, 2009, the British Columbia general election saw the Liberal Party secure a third consecutive victory, a feat not achieved in the province for 23 years. Despite a new electoral map and increased constituency numbers, the final results mirrored the political landscape of the previous term.
The 2009 election was the first to be contested under a revised electoral map, which increased the number of constituencies from 79 to 85. This change followed the passage of the Electoral Districts Act in 2008. Under constitutional amendments enacted in 2001, British Columbia established a system of fixed election dates, mandating that provincial polls occur on the second Tuesday of May every four years. This structural shift was intended to provide predictability, yet the outcome of the 2009 contest proved remarkably stable.
Premier Gordon Campbell led the British Columbia Liberal Party to a third consecutive win, a historic achievement that had not been seen in the province in over two decades. While early polling suggested the Liberals were on track for an expanded majority, a late shift in voter intentions—moving from the Green Party toward the New Democratic Party—resulted in a near-repeat of the 2005 election results. Both major parties saw their popular vote increase by less than one per cent compared to the previous cycle.
The election also featured a second referendum on electoral reform held in conjunction with the voting process. Voter turnout was recorded at 50.99% of the 1,651,567 registered voters. Despite the expansion of the legislature, the turnover of incumbent MLAs remained limited. Each of the two major parties lost two incumbents: the New Democrats saw Jenn McGinn and Charlie Wyse defeated, while the Liberals lost John Nuraney and Wally Oppal. Other seat changes were primarily attributed to the creation of new districts or the retirement of sitting members, cementing a period of relative continuity in British Columbia's political governance.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: 2009 British Columbia general election
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