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January 28, 2025 - 6:00 PM
Elections BC has released data on how much each MLA candidate spent in the 2024 provincial election in Kamloops and the Okanagan and for the most part, more money meant more votes.
In an election that became a head-to-head battle between BC Conservative and BC NDP candidates, the Conservatives spent more than the New Democrats in Kamloops and the Okanagan, and won more seats.
BC Conservative Amelia Boultbee is the MLA for Penticton-Summerland and she spent $71,221, while her BC NDP opponent Tina Lee spent $34,953.
The spread between BC Conservative Kelowna-Mission MLA Gavin Dew and his opponent was significant. Dew spent $85,246, while BC NDP’s Harpreet Badohal spent $18,532.
In Kelowna-Lake Country-Coldstream, Conservative MLA Tara Armstrong spent $38,763 on her campaign and BC NDP candidate Anna Warwick Sears spent $33,282.
READ MORE: Low voter turnout in Okanagan, Kamloops symptom of disinterested electorate
Kelowna Centre’s Conservative MLA Kristina Loewen’s spending hasn’t been released yet, but the BC NDP candidate, and Kelowna city councillor, Loyal Wooldridge spent $50,059.
West Kelowna-Peachland’s Conservative MLA Macklin McCall’s spending dwarfed BC NDP Krystal Smith’s with $35,164 compared to $8,371.
A break in the pattern of more spending equating to more votes was in Vernon-Lumby where BC NDP incumbent Harwinder Sandhu kept her seat by spending $64,693 on the campaign while BC Conservative Dennis Giesbrecht spent $77,376.
In Kamloops Centre, BC Conservative Peter Milobar spent $46,164 to beat the New Democrats Kamal Grewal who spent $35,827.
Click here for the full data set of provincial election spending.
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