With 7,000 friendly voters identified by Kamloops-South Thompson Liberal campaign workers, Todd Stone's campaign brimmed with confidence on election night.
And that optimism extended to the party forming government, confounding predictions of Liberal defeat.
"So much for polls and pundits," Stone's campaign manager, Hoberly Hove told supporters crowded into the what turned out to be the party's double victory party at Hotel 540.
Early in the evening after the polls closed, Stone said he was looking for convincing wins in subdivisions of Aberdeen, Sahali and Rivershore -- neighbourhoods that went strongly in favour of incumbent Liberal Kevin Krueger four years ago.
Rivershore delivered 167 votes for Stone, to New Democrat Tom Friedman's 44 -- a poll that would foreshadow the night.
Two hours after the close of polls, Stone was leading with 58 per cent of the popular vote compared with Friedman's 35 per cent. That compares with Krueger's 54 per cent popular vote in 2009.
The optimism that began the evening became chants, smiles and cheers as Stone's numbers rolled in and over Friedman.
Rosemary Smart, scrutineer chair on election day, said the party identified 7,000 voters through phoning and door-knocking who said they would vote Liberal on May 14.
That compared to about 4,000 identified voters for the party in 2009.
While some Liberals said early on they were confident of wins in both Kamloops ridings and a Liberal government, former Liberal candidate Gur Singh said victory was assured only for Stone.
"Todd's got a better chance because of the composition of the riding," he said early on.
The ridings were redrawn in 2008, making Kamloops-South Thompson a stronger Liberal safe seat.
Together, the two Liberals continued a tradition dating from 1903, when the first riding named Kamloops sent a government member to Victoria.
June Phillips, Krueger's longtime constituency assistant, acknowledged she was prepared for "four years in the wilderness" in a NDP victory.
"Amazing," she shook her head with a big smile.
While attendees included Singh and former veteran MLA Claude Richmond, Krueger was notably absent.
Stone, who became friends with Christy Clark as a Young Liberal at university, credited the Liberal leader.
"It's her victory. She's outcampaigned the other leaders."
The rookie MLA said his first local priority is to ensure Royal Inland Hospital's master plan comes to fruition "as well as how we address capacity issues at RIH in the short term."
While Stone and others in his camp expressed optimism throughout the evening, he acknowledged to reporters he was not ready for the convincing win provincewide.
"I felt for some time we'd be in good shape in Kamloops. Terry's done a great job in Kamloops-North Thompson... If I'm surprised at anything, it's we've grown our majority."
Steven Puhallo, a longtime Liberal party staffer in Victoria who recently returned to Kamloops, said the victory will be sweet to those who predicted Clark couldn't get it done.
"It's Adrian Dix who has to worry about 8:01 today, not Christy Clark," Puhallo said in reference to the rumoured movement to oust Clark immediately if she didn't win on Tuesday night.
Conservative Peter Sharp was the first to come to the Liberal camp to congratulate Stone, the bagpiper piping his way into the room to cheers from the Liberal crowd.
"I want to congratulate you and your team on the win," Sharp told Stone, adding "I'm so happy the NDP didn't win."
Campaign worker Julie Dormer said Liberals here pushed hard for Stone and Terry Lake.
"In my heart in Kamloops I knew Todd and Terry would win. I had no doubt Christy would win overall -- I know people are smart."
