> A look at Victoria-Beacon Hill,

The Victoria-Beacon Hill riding has been serious NDP territory for four decades — the lone blip being Liberal Jeff Bray’s 2001 win over then first-timer Carole James of the NDP, who won the seat in the following election.

The Liberals are no longer seen as the big threat to James in Victoria-Beacon Hill, though Karen Bill has been doing what she can to push the Liberal message at candidates meetings and on the doorstep.

In the 2013 election, James took almost 49 per cent of the vote, handily defeating runner-up Jane Sterk, then leader of the B.C. Green Party. Bill came third, with about 17 per cent of the votes — roughly half what Sterk captured.

Judging by the response Bill got to many of her points during an all-candidates meeting Monday at James Bay New Horizons Centre, the Liberal message is a tough sell in this left-leaning riding.

The Langford resident was regularly greeted with “Where have they been for 16 years” when she tried to press home the Liberal advantage.

The Green Party, on the other hand, seems to have found some traction. They made big gains in the riding in 2013, roughly doubling their share of the vote to almost 34 per cent compared with the previous election.

This time around, the party — along with Leader Andrew Weaver, the only Green MLA in B.C. — has a higher profile, with candidates in 83 of the 87 ridings.

In Victoria-Beacon Hill, the Greens have a young, well-spoken candidate who has been campaigning since late fall. Kalen Harris said he hopes he’s made it a serious race. The rookie candidate said he believes he’s found his stride by focusing any attack on James and the NDP, rather than the Liberals.

“The option is to distinguish what they have now [in James] and what they could have with me,” said Harris, while knocking on doors in James Bay.

Harris made it clear at Monday’s meeting about who he saw as his target. On several occasions, he took the NDP and James to task for a lack of action against government policy and suggested James let the riding down through a lack of leadership on issues affecting Victoria-Beacon Hill and the province.

“Carole James, while still well liked, hasn’t been as active in her fourth term and people have noticed,” he said.

Harris said his campaign started by stressing positive change, but has warmed to the idea of focusing on the NDP record and setting himself apart from James.

“I would say I realized I had to make it a priority to draw a clear distinction between myself and Carole,” he said, noting that there was no way he could fight toe-to-toe with the experienced politician.

“I can’t beat her at her own game,” he said. “I have to beat her at the aspects of who I am and what I am putting forward.”

James gave as good as she got during Monday’s meeting.

She parried Harris’s shots about a lack of presence and leadership by noting there were several chances for the Green Party candidate to witness her work on issues such as housing and renovictions over the last few years.

She also noted that opposition MLAs work with all parties on solutions and that the ground work and behind-the-scenes meetings rarely lead to headlines.

James said she’s been energized by the campaign.

“I don’t take anything for granted — I always say I’m running like it’s the first time,” she said. “There’s no question the Greens are strong, and I do not underestimate my opponent, but I certainly believe my experience and depth of my commitment to this community, and the work I’ve done will be the difference when people make a choice at the ballot box.”

Though eager and willing to engage the Greens during the candidate meetings, James has saved her main criticism for the Liberals.

In an interview, James said the energy in this election is very different from previous campaigns — even the 2013 race in which the NDP were convinced it was poised to form government.

“I have to say I’m sensing more anger at the current government than I’ve seen in the three provincial elections I’ve run in before,” she said. “I’m really sensing more desire for change. The energy and emotion at the doorstep is stronger this time around.”

For her, the housing issue has hit home, particularly affordability, renovictions and homelessness.

The riding also has the choice of a Libertarian Party candidate in Art Lowe, and two independent candidates, David Shebib and Jordan Reichert.

Lowe did not take part in Monday’s meeting. Shebib, while getting some applause and appreciation for his stance that the system is broken, was escorted out just after the halfway mark after he disrupted a question-and-answer session while James answered a question.

Reichert, a passionate defender of animal rights, scored points with the crowd of about 80 people on a number of occasions. He even had some of them talking about seeing the world from an animal’s perspective as they filed out.