Not content with having flipped an NDP seat at the provincial level, Ellis Ross pulled it off again at the federal level on election night when he ousted incumbent Skeena-Bulkley Valley MP Taylor Bachrach.
Though two polls still had yet to report results as of Thursday, May 1, Elections Canada showed the former Haisla Nation chief councillor with 21,202 votes, 47.2 per cent of all votes cast.
Skeena-Bulkley Valley encompasses the northwest tip of BC, including communities like Prince Rupert, Terrace, Smithers, Kitimat, Houston, Burns Lake, Fort St. James and Haida Gwaii.
Bachrach, who replaced former MP Nathan Cullen after he moved into provincial politics, received 17,662 votes, 39.3 per cent of ballots cast.
Back in 2017, Ross ousted 12-year NDP MLA Robin Austin in the provincial constituency of Skeena when he was a member of the BC Liberal Party.
Speaking to the Citizen on May 1, Ross said he thought the Conservatives’ platform on affordability, drugs and the carbon tax resonated with votes across his riding.
“It’s not just the carbon tax up in my region,” Ross said. “It’s the taxes and the carrier charges on home heating for natural gas. In every remote community, the prices go up because transportation charges actually add to your cost of living as well.”
Though Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre lost his seat, Ross said he is backing him to remain in charge of the party, having supported him since before he became opposition leader.
As he gets ready to head to Ottawa, Ross said he’ll be pushing for a stronger economy to help deal with social issues in the riding, including keeping Prime Minister Mark Carney to his promise to make Canada an energy superpower.
Read more of the Citizen’s interview with Skeena-Bulkley Valley MP-elect Ellis Ross in the Thursday, May 8 print edition.
