Winning candidate top spender
Dan Ashton was the biggest spender in the Penticton riding in the last provincial election, claiming $40,258 in election expenses.
Financial disclosures from the 2020 provincial election were released Monday.
Of the $40,258, the vast majority Ashton spent was on local advertising which included print, radio, television and some online news services.
Ashton did not open an office for this campaign due to COVID-19 and it was run entirely by volunteers.
According to the financial disclosures, Ashton’s biggest private contributors were Phil Locke and Robin Agur, with donations of $1,250 each and Hugo Deuschle with $750.
NDP challenger Toni Boot spent $14,418. Her expenses include $2,800 in salary for campaign worker Tina Lee, $1,000 for office space on Martin Street in Penticton plus $1,700 to Burnaby-based businesses Prism Graphics and Thunderbird Press.
Keith MacIntyre (Libertarian) and Ted Shumaker (Green) spent $280 and $19, respectively. (The mandatory $250 candidate deposit was not included in their numbers.)
Ashton was re-elected as MLA in the Penticton riding with 13,217 votes and about 48.2% of the total vote. Boot, whose party formed a majority government, was second with 10,343 votes and 37.7% of votes cast.
Peachland is included in the Penticton riding.
Meanwhile in Boundary-Similkameen, BC Liberal candidate Petra Veintimilla had $55,357 in election expenses.
Roly Russell, the winning NDP candidate, spent almost half with expenses at $28,370.
Russell claimed $997 in salary and benefits for campaign worker Ian Mitchell and $825 for Kristy Zamec.
Russell won the election with 10,500 votes and about 49.9% of the popular vote. Veintimilla was second of four challengers with 7,735 votes and 36.7% of the votes.