Bains defeats Igali in Surrey-Newton

Olympic gold medallist Daniel Igali, a star Liberal candidate, was defeated in Surrey-Newton Tuesday night by longtime union activist Harry Bains.

Bains took about 55 per cent of the popular vote. Igali received 36.5 per cent.

Race played a major role in the campaign in this ethnically diverse riding.

Bains is Indo-Canadian and has close ties to that community, which makes up almost half the voters in the area. Igali, who galvanized Canadians during the 2000 Olympics when he won wrestling gold and fell to the mat to kiss the maple leaf, came to Canada from Nigeria in 1996.

Over the weekend, pamphlets surfaced that encouraged voters to "don't vote ugly black" but instead "vote pretty brown." Igali denounced the leaflets, while Bains hinted that the Liberals may have been behind the message to tar his campaign.

In 2001, the riding voted Liberal, electing Tony Bhullar. Bhullar stepped aside this time so that Igali could run in his home riding. In the previous two elections, the NDP's Penny Priddy had held the seat.

Surrey-Newton has also voted Social Credit in the past.