Mark Warawa outspent his opponents to win another term as MP for Langley, but not by much.
And neither the incumbent Conservative nor his opponents were anywhere near the maximum allowed, according to the candidates’ electoral campaign returns just made public by Elections Canada.
Each candidate in the Langley riding was allowed to spend up to $93,931.03.
The figure is based on the number of electors in the riding.
Warawa spent $53,982.10 or 57 per cent of the maximum allowable.
He won the May 2 election with 35,569 votes or 64.5 per cent of the total number of ballots (54,320).
Runner-up NDP hopeful Piotr Majkowski collected 11,277 votes (20.5 per cent of the ballots), but spent a lot less, just $16,297.61 or 17 per cent of what he could have.
Majkowski’s was the most cost-effective campaign, working out to about $1.45 in spending for every vote cast.
Warawa was second at $1.55.
Third-place Liberal Rebecca Darnell spent the closest to Warawa, laying out $38,125.25 or 41 per cent of the maximum allowed.
That won her 4,990 votes or 9.1 per cent of the total.
Darnell’s was the costliest campaign on a per-vote basis at $7.66.
Carey Poitras of the Green Party spent $4,855.42 to get 2,943 votes (five per cent).
It works out to $1.62 a vote.
Conservative Warawa and Liberal Darnell spent nearly identical amounts on advertising, with Warawa laying out $19,353.15 compared to Darnell’s $19,664.89.
The NDPs’ Majkowski was third at $10,710.72 in advertising expenses, while the Green’s Poitras spent the least at $4,512.34.
The total amount spent by all candidates was $113,260.38.
Warawa had the most individual contributors at 259, while Majkowski was second with 41 and Darnell was third with just one. Poitras did not report any contributors.
At the Times press deadline, last-place Craig Nobbs of the Pirate Party (355 votes or 0.7 per cent) had yet to file an expenses statement.
Elections Canada spokesperson Diane Benson said electoral campaign returns are due four months following election day, but it’s possible some returns might still be awaiting processing.
If a candidate fails to file a return, Elections Canada has several options, including prohibiting the candidate from running again in the future, or pursuing prosecution, according to the Canada Elections Act.