Trevor Halford went out to an early lead for the Conservatives in Surrey-White Rock and never looked back.

Trevor Halford went out to an early lead for the Conservatives in Surrey-White Rock and never looked back.

Halford posted a convincing victory over New Democrat challenger Darryl Walker, former White Rock mayor, with 14,251 votes to Walker's 12,260.

With a recent survey showing B.C.'s New Democratic Party with a slight lead over the Conservative Party of B.C. heading into Saturday's (Oct. 19) provincial election, the riding of Surrey-White Rock was a battle primarily between orange and blue.

Incumbent candidate Trevor Halford, elected as a Liberal in 2020, is running under the Conservative banner, while former White Rock mayor Darryl Walker is running as the NDP candidate. Rounding out the field is Libertarian Damyn Tassie.

Halford has 53.44% of the vote to Walker's 43.84% after four of 16 ballot boxes reported back.

In a packed Ocean Park Pizza pub, Halford and an enthusiastic crowd of happy supporters watched the results pour in, with chants of "Trevor! Trevor! Trevor!" and plenty of loud clapping and applause when new poll results were reported.

Although Scott Kristjanson had planned to run for the Green Party of B.C., he was unable due to a technical issue discovered after the Sept. 28 nomination deadline passed.

In the last provincial election in 2020, it was a close race between the B.C. Liberals and the NDP in the riding, with Halford receiving 10,718 votes or 39.51 per cent, narrowly winning over NDP candidate Bryn Smith, who garnered 10,494 votes, or 38.69 per cent. 

The B.C. Liberals changed their party name to B.C.United last year; party leader Kevin Falcon announced he was suspended the party's campaign in August, and encouraged voters to support the B.C. Conservatives; Halford was then named the Surrey-White Rock Conservative candidate.