Incumbent Gord Johns was projected to keep his seat in Courtenay-Alberni for the NDP.
Johns, a former Tofino councillor who was first elected MP in 2015, had a lead of more than 7,000 votes on Conservative Mary Lee with 268 of 269 polls reporting on Monday night.
Both were well ahead of the other candidates, who were led by Susan Farlinger, with about 8,100 votes to Johns鈥� 27,100 and Lee鈥檚 19,700.
There are 9,633 special ballots yet to be counted in the riding, a process that will begin Tuesday and could take several days.
