Cochrane-Johnson upsets in Range Lake
An important voice for women, supporter says;
incumbent Dolynny defeated by 10 votes
Evan Kiyoshi French
Northern News Services
Wednesday, November 25, 2015
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Range Lake MLA-elect Caroline Cochrane-Johnson was planning a short break from the public eye following her stunning victory over incumbent Daryl Dolynny on Monday night.
Levi Dawe, 26, left, celebrates with his mother, Range Lake MLA-elect Caroline Cochrane-Johnson, after her narrow victory over incumbent Daryl Dolynny on election night. - Evan Kiyoshi French/NNSL photo |
"After a month and a half of hardcore campaigning, I think I will clean my house," she said, sharing a laugh while celebrating at her campaign headquarters at Stanton Plaza.
"If you call me (Tuesday), could you do it in the afternoon?"
Her month on the campaign trail culminated in a nail-biter evening with Dolynny never more than a handful of votes behind her in the polls. Cochrane-Johnson and around 30 of her supporters huddled around a television in the office on Old Airport Road, quietly watching the results come in.
At four minutes to 10 - with many of the other polls fully reported - Cochrane-Johnson was leading Dolynny by 13 votes with only two polls left to be counted.
Minutes later, Coun. Rommel Silverio arrived to lend his support. Half an hour later, Cochrane-Johnson said she was "feeling the stress" when, with only one poll left to be counted, her lead over Dolynny shrunk to only 10 votes.
Another half-hour passed and the tense group munched peanuts, made trips to the bathroom and cursed election officials for putting them through such agony. And then, just before 11 p.m., it was over. The room exploded into cheers because - the 10-vote lead held.
"I'm ecstatic," she said. "It was a long wait. Way too long. I have a large family."
Cochrane-Johnson said she didn't know what to expect heading into election night. She said Dolynny ran an "honourable campaign," and no real mud-flinging occurred between the two, so she wasn't sure who would ultimately win over the Range Lake voters.
Cochrane-Johnson, 54, moved to the territory in 1963. She was born in Flin Flon, Man., although she hasn't been there since she was a baby.
"I don't even know what it looks like," she said.
She said her family came to the territory for mineral exploration but she has made a career managing non-profit organizations. She has a social work degree, has studied business and finance, and has been the chief executive officer for the Centre for Northern Families for the past four years - during which time the centre bounced back after owing $300,000 in debt.
One of Cochrane-Johnson's supporters, Sandra Lockhart, said a vote for Cochrane-Johnson means a louder voice for women in a legislative assembly that will only have one other female MLA, Yellowknife Centre's Julie Green, who beat an incumbent Robert Hawkins to get her seat.
Elections NWT spokesperson Adrienne Cartwright said a recount is underway in Range Lake since the difference between the two candidates is lower than two per cent but wouldn't give a timeline for how long that could take.
Cochrane-Johnson finished the evening with 335 votes - 50.76 per cent of the pie - while Dolynny finished with 325 votes. A little more than 31 per cent of the district's eligible voters turned out to the polls.
Dolynny could not be located on election night and did not return phone calls requesting comment the following day.
