Detailed election data shows four-time incumbent MLA Norm Letnick is popular across the entire Kelowna-Lake Country riding

Photo: Contributed

(L to R) Norm Letnick, Renee Merrifield, Ben Stewart

If Norm Letnick decided to run for a fifth term in Kelowna-Lake Country, he has some work to do to shore up the vote in a four or five block area of Rutland.

Data released by Elections BC Tuesday shows Letnick had strong support across the riding during the 2020 election, save for two polling stations. Those polling stations, bounded by McCurdy, Rutland, Mugford and Gibson roads, were won by NDP challenger Justin Kulak by a combined 11 votes.

Across the rest of the riding Letnick, who amassed nearly 56 per cent of the overall vote, won handily. In many cases, he garnered more votes than the rest of the field combined.

Letnick wasn't stronger in any one area in particular, taking 53.8 per cent of the vote in Glenmore, 55.3 per cent in Lake Country and 57 per cent in Ellison.

The story was much different for first time winner Renee Merrifield in Kelowna-Mission and incumbent Ben Stewart in Kelowna West.

In Kelowna West, Stewart thrived on the Westside part of the riding. The sliver of Kelowna including downtown south to Cadder and the north end strongly skewed away from Stewart.

NDP challenger Spring Hawes finished in a statistical dead heat with Stewart on the Kelowna side of the riding. She picked up 684 votes, three more than Stewart.

The largest part of Stewart's support came on the east side of Highway 97, through Lakeview Heights, Casa Loma, and WFN lands.

At those polling stations, he picked up a combined 54.7 per cent of the vote.

Stewart polled around 48 to 50 per cent across the rest of the riding.

Merrifield also had more of a fight on her hands, although, unlike Stewart, she did manage to retain Kelowna-Mission for the BC Liberals with slightly more than 50 per cent of the overall vote.

She was pushed by NDP candidate Krystal Smith at polling stations along Highway the more densely populated areas along Highway 97 and 33 up to Hollywood Road where the two were in a virtual dead heat.

But, it was polls in less densely populated areas south of KLO Road and in especially East Kelowna and Rutland that threw more of their support behind the first-time candidate.

In East Kelowna, Merrifield won nearly 58 per cent of the vote. The margin was similar (56.4 per cent) in the Upper Mission.