White Rock voters have elected Anthony Manning and Susan Bains to the city council in the Sept. 27 byelection. Manning led the polls with 1,003 votes, while Bains secured the second seat with 694 votes.
Bains, who uses a wheelchair, emphasized her focus on accessibility and community representation. She celebrated her win at her home, highlighting her role as the first South Asian woman and person with a disability on the council. “White Rock has spoken – this perspective is needed at the table,” Bains said, surrounded by friends and family. Both Bains and Manning joined in an impromptu chorus of We Are The Champions to mark their victory.
Manning, a former council member, expressed gratitude to voters for their support. “I’m very grateful for White Rock residents re-electing me to council,” he said. Manning promised to represent all residents at the council table.
Several candidates who did not win shared their thoughts on the byelection. Chris Stroppa called it a great learning experience and said he looks forward to running again next year. Rob Blair also appreciated the experience, while Inder Buttar thanked volunteers and wished the new councillors success. Sharon Greysen noted the low voter turnout but said running for council was rewarding. Mayor Megan Knight expressed disappointment over turnout. “I thought White Rock would have come out a little more because we had two spots to fill,” she said, adding, “It’s what it is. We just move forward. Democracy is … you listen to the people.”
The final results showed Manning at the top with 1,003 votes, followed by Bains with 694. Former councillor Scott Kristjanson narrowly missed a seat with 606 votes. Sharon Greysen received 341 votes, while Fiona MacDermid earned 303. The total voter turnout was 16.63%, slightly higher than previous White Rock byelections. In 2012, turnout was 14%, and in 2009 it was 16%. Historically, general municipal elections in White Rock see higher participation, with 31% turnout in 2022 and 38% in 2018.
As results came in, Manning maintained an early lead from advance polls, consistently topping the charts at each reporting stage. Bains held her second-place standing throughout the counting. Candidates and residents watched the results at Ocean Beach Crafts Drafts and Eats and White Rock Community Centre, with many celebrating the winners and reflecting on the campaign.
The byelection filled the council seats left vacant by Ernie Klassen, now MP for South Surrey-White Rock, and Michele Partridge, who resigned for health reasons. Twenty-one candidates vied for the two seats, making it one of the more competitive races in recent years. Voting took place between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. at three locations: Centennial Arena, Kent Street Activity Centre, and White Rock Community Centre. Eligible voters did not need ID if already on the Elections B.C. list but were encouraged to bring identification to speed up the process.
Past byelections in White Rock have required relatively few votes to win due to low turnout. In 2012, Bill Lawrence secured a council seat with 620 votes, while in 2009, Grant Meyer won with 705 votes. With the large pool of candidates this year, the threshold for winning reflected both competitiveness and community engagement. Manning and Bains now take their seats on council, promising to represent White Rock residents and bring diverse perspectives to city decision-making. The city will move forward with these newly elected officials as voter engagement slowly continues to grow in municipal contests.
