Photo: Nicholas Johansen

Stephen Fuhr

It wasn’t the result the Stephen Fuhr supporters who gathered at BNA Brewing Co. were hoping for Monday night, but the incumbent Kelowna-Lake Country candidate arrived to a standing applause.

A few dozen people filled a section of BNA Brewing Co.'s upstairs for Fuhr's election night party, but as soon as results started to trickle in from the Kelowna-Lake Country riding, Conservative Party candidate Tracy Gray took a commanding lead, from which Fuhr never recovered. As a result, the riding is once again in the hands of the Conservatives.

While the mood in the room was somewhat sombre when it became clear Gray had taken the riding, the consoling hugs amongst Fuhr's supporters and volunteers soon turned to mingling and laughter, and when Fuhr arrived at 9:45 p.m., he was greeted with a standing ovation.

“I couldn't have done what I was able to do without your support, from running the office, phones, knocking on doors, to setting up the office, it was just a million things that had to get done, and they were all done superbly,” Fuhr told the crowd of supporters and volunteers.

“It was just delivering for the community the best way that I could, or we could, and we did that, and that's never going to change.”

He became visibly emotional when speaking about his staff, who he had kept on from his predecessor, Conservative Ron Cannan.

“I would recommend that she hangs onto the staff, I did,” he said. “They will serve her well, and they need to be looked after.”

For the Liberal supporters in the room, the night was somewhat bittersweet. While their candidate was unseated, their party won a minority government.

As for the future, Fuhr said it's still “a little early” to say if he'll remain in politics.

“I'm not ready to throw in the towel on adding value to something, whether it's politics, I don't know if there's an opportunity there or not, or something else. I guess I'll find out in the next few days.”