Frank Caputo will be heading to Ottawa as the newly elected Member of Parliament in Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo, the Canadian Press is projecting.
The Conservative candidate will be replacing Cathy McLeod, who retired after four terms in office. Caputo’s win makes him the third consecutive Conservative MP in the Kamloops area after Betty Hinton and Cathy McLeod.
As of 9 a.m. Tuesday morning, Caputo, a Crown prosecutor, had 42.9 per cent of the vote (27,597) to the NDP’s Bill Sundhu’s 28.9 per cent (18,618) with 296 of 297 polls reporting.
Despite holding a sizeable lead throughout election night, Caputo was reluctant to declare victory Monday night.
“I am humbled and honoured by it. I am so grateful,” he told NL News. “Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo has some of the friendliest and hardest working people. It is an honour. It is also an honour to share a forum with the other candidates. It was a real honour to be among a successful and vibrant group of candidates.”
Caputo says jobs and the economy were the two main things that he spoke to constituents about on the campaign trail.
“So in terms of the economy the Conservatives had a strong economic plan and we are going to I believe hold a Liberal minority’s feet to the fire so to speak in order to have prosperity for all,” he added. “When it comes to climate change again we had a strong plan and a strong platform I felt.”
“I come from a legal background where collegiality and civility are of upmost importance, and I am hoping to do my best to contribute to civility if I were to be ultimately elected.”
Sundhu was hoping to become just the second New Democrat to represent the area after Nelson Riis, who was a five term MP between 1980 until 2000.
“Congrats & best wishes to Frank Caputo on his win in Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo,” he said, on twitter Tuesday morning. “Thank you to fellow candidates Iain Currie, and Jesse McCormick. It is an enormous contribution to run, give of yourself, put yourself in the public’s hands. Let’s work together for an inclusive, caring, better Canada.”
His campaign manager, Ryan Painter, told NL News Monday night that Sundhu would not be speaking to the media when it appeared that he was heading to a second place instead. Painter said Sundhu’s plans were to remain at home with his wife and watch the election results come in.
Liberal Candidate Jesse McCormick was third with 11,618 votes, which was good for 18 per cent of the total ballots cast. Speaking on the NL Morning News, he says he only has good things to say about his experience on the campaign trail.
“All the volunteers, all the contributors, everyone who took the time to make the democratic process their own and to participate and put forth their vision for a better Canada, it was something that I’ll always be grateful to have had the opportunity to experience,” McCormick said
“I think the people of Kamloops Thompson Cariboo benefitted from a strong race with clear policy options and good people and I was proud to be a part of it.”
Corally Delwo with the People’s Party of Canada finished in fourth place with 3,763 votes (5.8 per cent) followed by Iain Currie of the Green Party who was in fifth with 2.375 votes, enough of 3. per cent.
Currie was the only person on the ballot in the 2019 Federal Election.
Rounding out the field were independents Bob O’Brien and Wayne Allan in sixth and seventh place respectively, with 277 and 140 votes respectively.
Elections Canada says there were 64,388 ballots cast in Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo – a 60.54 per cent turnout with 106,354 registered electors in the riding. That does not include electors who registered on election day.
Data also shows there are 7,180 mail-in ballots to be counted, including 6,334 that were issued to electors living in the riding. Another 737 were issued to electors living outside their riding, with another 109 to those living outside of Canada.
Elsewhere, the Canadian Press is also projecting that incumbent Conservative MPs Dan Albas, Brad Vis, and Mel Arnold have won their respective ridings of Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola, North Okanagan-Shuswap, and Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon.
Similarly, the riding of Cariboo-Prince George will remain Conservative blue as Todd Doherty has been declared the winner by The Canadian Press.
– With files from Jeff Andreas, Colton Davies, and The Canadian Press
Iain Currie congratulating Frank Caputo on a Conservative win in #kamloops. Caputo not quite ready to declare victory tho. pic.twitter.com/AhhbI78ncx
— Jeff Andreas (@Jeffrey_Andreas) September 21, 2021
