Nanaimo-Ladysmith riding still too close to call as NDP, Conservatives poised to unseat Greens

Victoria -

More than 12 hours since the polls closed, a Vancouver Island riding remains in limbo with the preliminary results still too close to call.

Incumbent Paul Manly, one of only two Green MPs in the country when Parliament was dissolved, trails both his NDP and Conservative rivals in the vote count Tuesday morning.

New Democrat Lisa Marie Barron leads with 29.1 per cent of the vote early Tuesday, followed by Conservative candidate Tamara Kronis with 27.5 per cent.

Fewer than 1,000 votes separate the two leading candidates early Tuesday morning, with 264 of 265 polls reporting.

Manly, who won the riding in a 2019 byelection, posted a message thanking his supporters on Twitter late Monday night.

"I would like to thank my campaign team, all the volunteers who put their time, effort and hearts into my campaign, and the voters of Nanaimo-Ladysmith who supported me,” Manly tweeted.

“Even with 8000 special ballots remaining to be counted on Friday, the current margin will be hard to overcome.”

I would like to thank my campaign team, all the volunteers who put their time, effort and hearts into my campaign, and the voters of Nanaimo-Ladysmith who supported me. Even with 8000 special ballots remaining to be counted on Friday, the current margin will be hard to overcome.

— Paul Manly (@paulmanly) September 21, 2021