2009 British Columbia general election

The 2009 British Columbia general election was held on May 12, 2009, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly in the Canadian province of British Columbia. The British Columbia Liberal Party (BC Liberals) formed the government of the province prior to this general election under the leadership of Premier Gordon Campbell. The British Columbia New Democratic Party (BC NDP) under the leadership of Carole James was the Official Opposition.

The election was the first contested on a new electoral map completed in 2008, with the total number of constituencies increased from 79 in the previous legislature to 85. Under amendments to the BC Constitution Act passed in 2001, BC elections are now held on fixed dates which are the second Tuesday in May every four years.

A second referendum on electoral reform was held in conjunction with the election.

The election did not produce a significant change in the province's political landscape. The BC Liberals, who had been in power since the 2001 provincial election, were returned to power, constituting the first time in 23 years a party had won three elections in a row in British Columbia. As a result of the seat redistribution, both the Liberals and the New Democrats gained seats, and both parties increased their popular vote by less than one per cent over 2005. Each party lost two incumbent MLAs: the BC NDP's Jenn McGinn and Charlie Wyse, and the Liberals' John Nuraney and Wally Oppal were defeated. All other seat changes in the election resulted from the new seats or from retiring incumbents.

Voter turnout was 50.99% of eligible voters (1,651,567 registered voters).

2008 redistribution of ridings
An Act was passed in 2008 providing for an increase of seats from 79 to 85, upon the next election. The following changes were made:

Timeline of the campaign
April 10, 2008, passage of the Electoral Districts Act, 2008 moving BC from 79 to 85 constituencies.

October 29, 2008, by-elections in Vancouver-Burrard and Vancouver-Fairview, both won by the New Democrats.

April 14, 2009, the campaign will officially begin when the writ is issued.

April 24, 2009 1pm close of nominations for the election.

May 12, 2009, Election day.

Debates
There was one TV debate featuring the leaders of the three major parties: Gordon Campbell, Carole James, and Jane Sterk on all three major BC networks on Sunday May 3 at 5:00 p.m.

CKNW had a debate of the three leaders on April 23 from 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

CBC Radio One had a debate of the three leaders on April 21 at 7:30 a.m.

MLAs elected
{{legend|#A51B12|Abbotsford-Mission: Randy Hawes}} {{legend|#A51B12|Abbotsford South: John van Dongen}} {{legend|#A51B12|Abbotsford West: Mike de Jong}} {{legend|#F4A460|Alberni-Pacific Rim: Scott Fraser}} {{legend|#A51B12|Boundary-Similkameen: John Slater}} {{legend|#F4A460|Burnaby-Deer Lake: Kathy Corrigan}} {{legend|#F4A460|Burnaby-Edmonds: Raj Chouhan}} {{legend|#A51B12|Burnaby-Lougheed: Harry Bloy}} {{legend|#A51B12|Burnaby North: Richard Lee}} {{legend|#A51B12|Cariboo-Chilcotin: Donna Barnett}} {{legend|#F4A460|Cariboo North: Bob Simpson}} {{legend|#A51B12|Chilliwack: John Les}} {{legend|#A51B12|Chilliwack-Hope: Barry Penner}} {{legend|#F4A460|Columbia River-Revelstoke: Norm Macdonald}} {{legend|#A51B12|Comox Valley: Don McRae}} {{legend|#A51B12|Coquitlam-Burke Mountain: Douglas Horne}} {{legend|#F4A460|Coquitlam-Maillardville: Diane Thorne}} {{legend|#F4A460|Cowichan Valley: Bill Routley}} {{legend|#F4A460|Delta North: Guy Gentner}} {{legend|#DCDCDC|Delta South: Vicki Huntington}} {{legend|#F4A460|Esquimalt-Royal Roads: Maurine Karagianis}} {{legend|#A51B12|Fort Langley-Aldergrove: Rich Coleman}} {{legend|#F4A460|Fraser-Nicola: Harry Lali}} {{legend|#F4A460|Juan de Fuca: John Horgan}} {{legend|#A51B12|Kamloops-North Thompson: Terry Lake}} {{legend|#A51B12|Kamloops-South Thompson: Kevin Krueger}} {{legend|#A51B12|Kelowna-Lake Country: Norm Letnick}} {{legend|#A51B12|Kelowna-Mission: Steve Thomson}}

{{legend|#A51B12|Kootenay East: Bill Bennett}} {{legend|#F4A460|Kootenay West: Katrine Conroy}} {{legend|#A51B12|Langley: Mary Polak}} {{legend|#A51B12|Maple Ridge-Mission: Marc Dalton}} {{legend|#F4A460|Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows: Michael Sather}} {{legend|#F4A460|Nanaimo: Leonard Krog}} {{legend|#F4A460|Nanaimo-North Cowichan: Doug Routley}} {{legend|#A51B12|Nechako Lakes: John Rustad}} {{legend|#F4A460|Nelson-Creston: Michelle Mungall}} {{legend|#F4A460|New Westminster: Dawn Black}} {{legend|#F4A460|North Coast: Gary Coons}} {{legend|#F4A460|North Island: Claire Trevena}} {{legend|#A51B12|North Vancouver-Lonsdale: Naomi Yamamoto}} {{legend|#A51B12|North Vancouver-Seymour: Jane Thornthwaite}} {{legend|#A51B12|Oak Bay-Gordon Head: Ida Chong}} {{legend|#A51B12|Parksville-Qualicum: Ron Cantelon}} {{legend|#A51B12|Peace River North: Pat Pimm}} {{legend|#A51B12|Peace River South: Blair Lekstrom}} {{legend|#A51B12|Penticton: Bill Barisoff}} {{legend|#F4A460|Port Coquitlam: Mike Farnworth}} {{legend|#A51B12|Port Moody-Coquitlam: Iain Black}} {{legend|#F4A460|Powell River-Sunshine Coast: Nicholas Simons}} {{legend|#A51B12|Prince George-Mackenzie: Pat Bell}} {{legend|#A51B12|Prince George-Valemount: Shirley Bond}} {{legend|#A51B12|Richmond Centre: Rob Howard}} {{legend|#A51B12|Richmond East: Linda Reid}} {{legend|#A51B12|Richmond-Steveston: John Yap}} {{legend|#A51B12|Saanich North and the Islands: Murray Coell}}

{{legend|#F4A460|Saanich South: Lana Popham}} {{legend|#A51B12|Shuswap: George Abbott}} {{legend|#F4A460|Skeena: Robin Austin}} {{legend|#F4A460|Stikine: Doug Donaldson}} {{legend|#A51B12|Surrey-Cloverdale: Kevin Falcon}} {{legend|#F4A460|Surrey-Fleetwood: Jagrup Brar}} {{legend|#F4A460|Surrey-Green Timbers: Sue Hammell}} {{legend|#F4A460|Surrey-Newton: Harry Bains}} {{legend|#A51B12|Surrey-Panorama: Stephanie Cadieux}} {{legend|#A51B12|Surrey-Tynehead: Dave Hayer}} {{legend|#F4A460|Surrey-Whalley: Bruce Ralston}} {{legend|#A51B12|Surrey-White Rock: Gordon Hogg}} {{legend|#A51B12|Vancouver-Fairview: Margaret MacDiarmid}} {{legend|#A51B12|Vancouver-False Creek: Mary McNeil}} {{legend|#A51B12|Vancouver-Fraserview: Kash Heed}} {{legend|#F4A460|Vancouver-Hastings: Shane Simpson}} {{legend|#F4A460|Vancouver-Kensington: Mable Elmore}} {{legend|#F4A460|Vancouver-Kingsway: Adrian Dix}} {{legend|#A51B12|Vancouver-Langara: Moira Stilwell}} {{legend|#F4A460|Vancouver-Mount Pleasant: Jenny Kwan}} {{legend|#A51B12|Vancouver-Point Grey: Gordon Campbell}} {{legend|#A51B12|Vancouver-Quilchena: Colin Hansen}} {{legend|#F4A460|Vancouver-West End: Spencer Chandra Herbert}} {{legend|#A51B12|Vernon-Monashee: Eric Foster}} {{legend|#F4A460|Victoria-Beacon Hill: Carole James}} {{legend|#F4A460|Victoria-Swan Lake: Rob Fleming}} {{legend|#A51B12|West Vancouver-Capilano: Ralph Sultan}} {{legend|#A51B12|West Vancouver-Sea to Sky: Joan McIntyre}} {{legend|#A51B12|Westside-Kelowna: Ben Stewart}}

Synopsis of results

 * = Open seat
 * = turnout is above provincial average
 * = winning candidate was in previous Legislature
 * = Incumbent had switched allegiance
 * = Previously incumbent in another riding
 * = Not incumbent; was previously elected to the Legislature
 * = Incumbency arose from by-election gain
 * = other incumbents renominated
 * = previously an MP in the House of Commons of Canada
 * = Multiple candidates

Party platforms
In order of release
 * Conservative Party Platform (A Clear Vision for British Columbia)
 * Green Party Platform 2009 (A Better Plan for BC)
 * New Democratic Party Platform 2009 (Take Back Your BC)
 * Liberal Party Platform 2009 (Keep BC Strong)