B.C. Conservative candidate Heather Maahs has won the Chilliwack North riding in the provincial election. 

"I'm jubilant," Maahs said when asked for her initial reaction at her victory with 55 per cent of the vote, and only one ballot box still to report. "I don't know what else to say."

A central theme on the campaign trail was the need to combat the homelessness and the drug addict issue, she said, adding that affordability was another.

"I'm so happy with the people in this city that they put their trust in me and I'm actually overwhelmed and humbled by this, by this victory."

Maahs captured the seat from incumbent Dan Coulter (NDP), easily winning over Tim Cooper (B.C. Greens) and independent Dan Grice. 

In her bid for election as MLA, she said she would bring 鈥渁 wealth of experience, a deep sense of community involvement, and a steadfast commitment to championing education.鈥�

Maahs said while campaigning that her advocacy 鈥渆xtends beyond political aspirations, rooted in a genuine desire to contribute positively to the well-being of her community and the education system as a whole鈥�

Coulter lost the seat after serving the riding since 2020 when he won with 7,349 votes or 41.56 per cent of the vote over BC Liberal incumbent John Martin who only got 5,102 votes and Diane Janzen who earned 2,910.

Advance voting was stronger than ever in this election across the province, with more than a million people casting a ballot before Voting Day. That trend was mirrored in Chilliwack. In Chilliwack-Cultus Lake, 11,503 people took advantage of advance voting, and in Chilliwack North, 10,128 people voted early.

Comparatively in 2020, Chilliwack-Kent saw 8,700 advance votes, and the riding of Chilliwack saw just 6,490 votes.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.