Loewen edges Wooldridge by 43 votes in Kelowna Centre

BC Conservative incumbent Kristina Loewen has held on to Kelowna Centre, but the narrowest of victories means the riding is headed for another judicial recount.

Elections BC’s final count puts Loewen ahead of BC NDP challenger Loyal Wooldridge by just 43 votes, with 11,689 ballots to Wooldridge’s 11,646.

The inclusion of roughly 2,000 mail-in and absentee ballots significantly tightened the race, cutting Loewen’s lead from 137 votes.

Under provincial election rules, a judicial recount is required when the margin is less than one-500th of the total votes cast.

Loewen defeated Wooldridge by 40 votes in the 2024 election, with a subsequent judicial recount confirming her victory.

In a Facebook post Sunday, Loewen said she feels confident the recount will not change the outcome.

The riding remains subject to judicial recount, however.