The Fleetwood-Port Kells riding in Surrey will have a new Liberal voice in Ottawa, with Gurbux Saini projected as the election winner.
At age 74, he's a first-time federal candidate in Surrey but ran for the Liberals in Cariboo-Prince George in 2004, placing a distant third, and was a city councillor in Williams Lake for 14 years.
Saini, who moved to Surrey in 2016, topped Conservative candidate Sukh Pandher by close to 1,700 votes, as of 12:40 a.m. Tuesday.
"Its an absolutely privilege for me to run and I'm grateful to the people of Fleetwood-Port Kells for giving me the opportunity," Saini said while votes were still being counted.
Supporters of the Liberal candidate gathered Monday (April 28) at Westfield Country Club on 152 Street, while Pandher's crowd of Conservatives spent the evening at Mirage banquet hall on 64 Avenue in Cloverdale.
Voter turnout in the riding inched toward 47,832 of 76,235 registered electors, or 63 per cent.
Just after 1 a.m. (early Tuesday), Saini had a lead of 1,679 votes with 186 of 187 polls reporting, or 99.47 per cent.
Gurbux Saini (Liberal candidate in Fleetwood-Port Kells) enters ballroom with smiles and hugs at Westfield Country Club in Surrey. Gotten packed in here over the past hour. @SurreyNowLeader @juliemaclellan #SurreyBC pic.twitter.com/ghtTm2NiqW
— Tom Zillich (@TomZillich) April 29, 2025
Earlier in the evening, Saini shared why he thought the Liberals were destined to form government again in Ottawa.
"I think Canadians are very concerned about U.S. behavior to Canada, and we want to make sure we have a strong Liberal government that can stand up to Trump because Mr. Trump cannot be trusted," Saini told the Now-Leader.
"The agreement that he signed himself seven years ago when he was president, he can’t even live up to that. He signed that agreement under which 98 per cent of these things should be duty-free or tariff-free, but that's the guy we are up against and we want to make sure Canadian sovereignty will never be at risk. We will give our life before we give up Canada."
There were some new faces running in Fleetwood-Port Kells, with 10-year incumbent Liberal Ken Hardie not seeking re-election. The other candidates were Shannon Permal for the NDP, John Hetherington for People's Party of Canada and Murali Krishnan for Green Party.
According to the 2021 census, the riding's population is 117,423. The independent electoral projection site 388 Canada projected that the Liberals would win in Fleetwood-Port Kells.
A bio for Saini on the Liberal party website says he arrived in Canada in 1970 with just $8 in his pocket. He worked as a lumber piler and rose to become a plant manager, "all while continuing his education and supporting his family," the bio says.
"His journey is a testament to his resilience, determination, and lifelong commitment to serving others. As the Liberal candidate for Fleetwood-Port Kells, Gurbux understands what it takes to support families, strengthen local infrastructure, and grow a thriving, inclusive community."
