Rachna Singh has been re-elected in Surrey-Green Timbers in a dramatic two-way race between the NDP incumbent and MLA candidate and her Liberal candidate rival, Dilraj Atwal.
“It was a nerve-wracking night, but a good night,” Singh told the Now-Leader after winning. “A great night.”
She spent the night at home snuggling under a blanket, “just crossing my fingers. I was really happy with the results that were coming overall.”
She said she will continue to work hard “to make life better for people. I’m so honoured, so honoured, by all the love my constituents have given me. A second time, having this faith in me – I won’t let them down.”
Due to the pandemic, more Surrey residents have decided to vote by mail-in ballot than ever before. Election results won’t be finalized until after Nov. 6. In Surrey-Green Timbers, 4,084 ballots were issued to the riding’s 29,258 registered voters. That’s about 14 per cent of eligible voters receiving vote-by-mail packages.
Singh won the 2017 election with 58.19 per cent of the vote, her 8,280 votes defeating Liberal runner-up Brenda Locke’s 4,711. Singh was most recently the chairwoman of the Special Committee to Review the Police Complaint Process. Her new rival, Atwal, owns a residential construction company in Surrey.
Before retiring from public life, the NDP’s Sue Hammell won the riding in every provincial election except one since its creation in 1991.
The only candidate to have defeated Hammell is Locke, who defeated Hammell in 2001, when the NDP sustained an across-the-board trouncing provincially. She served the riding from 2001 to 2005, when Hammell took it back.
Surrey-Green Timbers, according to available figures, has a population of 58,816, covers 18 square kilometres and average age of its residents is 34.4 years. All told, for 69.37 per cent of the riding’s residents, English is their second language.
Dilraj Atwal, Liberal candidate for Surrey-Green Timbers. (Submitted photo)
Candidates:
We asked each candidate a simple question. “Why are you the best candidate in your riding?” We asked them to keep their pitch to 150 words. For those candidates who did not respond, we made every effort to tell you a little something about them or at the very least, send you in the right direction to learn about them.
Dilraj Atwal
Liberal
As a Surrey resident with a young family and a small business owner, I understand the needs of this community.
I feel it is my duty to give back to all the residents of Surrey- Green Timbers.
I know I can be a strong voice for them as their BC Liberal MLA in Victoria and be part of making this great community safe, healthy and prosperous for all citizens.
Rachna Singh
NDP
I ran for election in 2017 because I knew we had to stop the BC Liberals and end years and years of neglect – they just took Surrey for granted. Our infrastructure was crumbling and Andrew Wilkinson sold the land for our much-needed hospital to BC Liberal donors.
Instead, I’m committed to standing up for Surrey and putting people at the heart of our recovery. The BC NDP has made life more affordable for British Columbians, fixing ICBC and curbing housing speculation. We’re building critical infrastructure like our new Surrey hospital, the Massey crossing, new schools and childcare spaces.
Instead of tax breaks for the rich and well-connected, we’re protecting people’s health and planning for an economic recovery that works for everyone, not just multi-millionaires.I’m fighting for Surrey to make life better and more affordable here.
I’m with John Horgan, and we’re looking out for you during this crisis.
tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com
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