Ex-Penticton mayor does well in Peachland

Dan Ashton may be a two-term former mayor of Penticton but he’s more popular in Peachland than across the rest of the South Okanagan riding.

Ashton, the incumbent Liberal LA, won 6 .6 per cent of all votes cast in Peachland in the 2017 election. That compares with the 52.8 per cent level of support he received across the entire Penticton-based riding, which includes Summerland.

The riding consists of 70 voting areas. Ashton won the most votes in all but a handful of districts, narrowly losing in four downtown Penticton neighbourhoods.

But the 2017 contest wasn’t close in any of Peachland’s eight voting areas.

In Peachland’s rural western edge, he won 71 per cent of all votes in the Beach Avenue neighbourhoods, it was 56 per cent in the Ponderosa neighbourhood, it was 73 per cent.

Born in Edmonton but raised in Penticton, Ashton was mayor of the South Okanagan’s largest city from 2008 until 2013. He’ll be trying to hold the Penticton riding for the Liberals for a third term in office.

The NDP will be trying to improve on the party’s 28.7 per cent of the vote it received in 2017 with first-time candidate Toni Boot. She has taken a leave of absence from her ob as mayor of Summerland.

Boot has a tough challenge ahead of her in her own town, however. Three years ago, Ashton won all 15 of Summerland’s main voting areas with 53 per cent of all ballots cast.

NDP candidate Toni Boot

The Greens, who drew 18.5 per cent of the votes in the Penticton riding in 2017 are represented this time around by Ted Shumaker, a retired hospital pharmacist.

Penticton candidates

Dan Ashton BC Liberal Party Toni Boot BC NDP

Keith MacIntyre Libertarian

Ted Shumaker BC Green Party

Westside Weekly

Dan Ashton is running for re-elect;ion in the Penticton riding, which stretches north to Peachland.