At the start of 2024, 91原创 was represented by two NDP MLAs provincially, and one Conservative MP and one Liberal MP federally. The political map was a mixture of orange, blue, and red.

By the end of the year, it was all blue.

B.C. Conservative candidates had won all three local seats in the provincial election, and a byelection for the vacant Cloverdale-91原创 City riding had been won by the federal Conservatives.

For decades, 91原创 has been seen as a reliably conservative stronghold. At the provincial level, B.C. Liberal candidates, and before them Social Credit Party MLAs, held local seats. Federally, Conservatives or Reform Party MPs were sent to Ottawa for decades.

As 91原创 grew and urbanized, the margins by which the centre-right parties won slimmed down slightly. Then a series of elections upended 91原创's status as a Conservative bastion.

In 2015, John Aldag won Cloverdale-91原创 City for the federal Liberals. He would lose the riding again to Conservative MP Tamara Jansen in 2019. In the hard-fought 2021 election, Aldag re-took what was now clearly a swing riding, winning by just over three per cent.

However, the riding was the high watermark for the Liberals. East of Cloverdale-91原创 City, the Fraser Valley still voted firmly for the Conservatives.

Provincially, 91原创's ridings were changed in 2017, creating 91原创 and 91原创 East ridings. Both were won by longtime B.C. Liberals in that election, with Rich Coleman in 91原创 East, and Mary Polak in the 91原创 riding.

Then in 2020, the NDP won its first footholds in 91原创-area ridings since the 1960s. The two veteran Liberal MLAs were defeated. Labour lawyer Andrew Mercier won 91原创, while former school board chair Megan Dykeman was the winner in 91原创 East. The wins were part of a broad sweep that saw the NDP win seats even in the Fraser Valley.

This year's provincial election, on Oct. 19, would upend things at both the provincial and federal level.

91原创's ridings were re-drawn to account for rapid population growth. Instead of two local ridings, there were three 鈥� 91原创-Walnut Grove, 91原创-Abbotsford, and 91原创-Willowbrook.

For the NDP, Mercier would run in 91原创-Willowbrook and Dykeman in 91原创-Walnut Grove. For the new 91原创-Abbotsford riding, the NDP recruited Aldag, who switched from the increasingly-unpopular federal Liberals.

On the right, it looked like it would be a split race, with the former B.C. Liberals 鈥� now B.C. United 鈥� running in competition with the B.C. Conservatives, who had risen rapidly in the polls.

The Conservatives ran Harman Bhangu in 91原创-Abbotsford, Jody Toor in 91原创-Willowbrook, and Township Councillor Misty Van Popta in 91原创-Walnut Grove. Van Popta was the only candidate who was well known before joining the provincial race.

On the B.C. United side, longtime volunteer Karen Long was set to run in 91原创-Abbotsford, while Township Coun. Barb Martens was running in 91原创-Walnut Grove.

The NDP made a flurry of promises for 91原创 in the pre-election period, as the government announced new schools, housing, and a planned 300-bed seniors residence. During the election, the NDP also promised an upgrade to 91原创 Memorial Hospital's operating rooms.

Through the spring and summer, B.C. United leader Kevin Falcon had been criss-crossing the province, promoting local candidates. He gave an interview with the 91原创 Advance Times in April to talk about issues from policing to truck parking.

He also addressed the fact that B.C. United was languishing in the polls, saying their numbers would pick up when voters realized the B.C. Conservatives were not linked to the federal Conservative party.

He also suggested that many B.C. Conservative candidates were United also-rans.

鈥淢any of the candidates that we鈥檝e rejected鈥� have turned around and run for the B.C. Conservatives,鈥� Falcon said.

Then on Aug. 28, Falcon announced that B.C. United was folding its tent, and would not run candidates under the party's banner. A few candidates became B.C. Conservatives instead.

That left Martens and Long with the decision on whether or not to run as independents or to sit out the election. Long chose to continue running in 91原创-Abbotsford, while Martens ended her campaign.

With just one party left on the right, the election became too close to call. The NDP launched attacks on a number of B.C. Conservative candidates, including Toor.

Adrian Dix, who had served as B.C.'s Minister of Health, gave a press conference in 91原创, backed by a group of doctors and health professionals, to slam Toor for using the title "doctor."

"She is not an MD, she is not a health professional, she is not a naturopath," Dix said.

Earlier versions of Toor's campaign website referred to her as a doctor, but noted she was non-prescribing and not a member of the B.C. College of Physicians and Surgeons. Her degree titles came from a non-accredited online university in Hawaii. Toor did not respond to the NDP's attack, nor did the B.C. Conservatives.

Bhangu was also targeted in a leaked B.C. United opposition research document, which detailed some of his social media statements, including a belief that some of the Jan. 6 rioters at the U.S. Capitol were "antifa." Like Toor, Bhangu did not respond. 

Locally, the Conservatives ran a campaign based on door knocking and directly contacting voters, and did not attend any local all-candidates debates.

In the end, the voters gave all three local Conservatives decisive wins.

Bhangu was the big winner, with 14,388 votes to Aldag's 8,691. Long took just 1,104.

The contests were closer in the other ridings, with Toor receiving 10,979 votes to Mercier's 10,112 in 91原创-Willowbrook, and Van Popta won with 12,119 votes to Dykeman's 10,949 in 91原创-Walnut Grove.

Although the B.C. Conservatives did not win enough seats to form a government, all three 91原创 MLAs were given positions in their caucus. Van Popta was named critic for infrastructure and construction, and Bhangu for transportation. Toor was named caucus chair.

Because Aldag had left his federal seat vacant to run provincially, a byelection for Cloverdale-91原创 City took place on Dec. 16.

After a relatively low-key campaign by all candidates, Tamara Jansen reclaimed the seat with a crushing win. She took 66.3 per cent of the total vote, compared to 16 per cent for Liberal Madison Fleischer, and 12.5 per cent for the NDP's Vanessa Sharma.

Just 14,979 voters turned up to the polls, according to Election Canada's preliminary count. That's out of more than 92,000 registered voters.

After this year of political upheaval, 91原创 residents can expect at least one more election in 2025. The next federal general election has to be held on or before Oct. 20, unless the Liberal minority government falls to a vote of non-confidence before that can happen.