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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
It was challenger Patrick Scott who gave Great Slave MLA-reelect Glen Abernethy the final good news of the night, calling Abernethy to congratulate him on his win.

Great Slave MLA-reelect Glen Abernethy celebrated his victory at Coast Fraser Tower Monday night. - Katherine Hudson/NNSL photo

Abernethy is entering his second term as MLA for the Great Slave riding. He ran against four other candidates in 2007, but only Scott challenged him this time.

The advance poll was the first to come in for Great Slave, showing Abernethy only 20 votes ahead of Scott, yet as the night wore on, Abernethy began to pull ahead. He eventually won with 476 votes cast in has favour to 266 for Scott out of a total of 742 votes.

"I'm happy. This is good ... Now I have to get back in there and carry the message forward and get some work done," said Abernethy, as he jotted down the final numbers on a white poster board at Coast Fraser Tower to cheers and applause from the nearly 20 supporters gathered there.

Abernethy's parents were on hand for the victory. His mother, Loretta, tearfully hugged her son when he announced the final numbers of the night.

"I'm very proud ... He listens to people and tries to do what people would like to have done. He's a good kid," she said.

Abernethy said he is excited to get back to work with the rest of the members in the 17th legislative assembly, a group that contains six Yellowknife incumbents save Range Lake where Daryl Dolynny took an open seat vacated by Sandy Lee last spring.

A seat on cabinet is on Abernethy's radar, which he said is a similar story with all elected members.

"Anybody who tells you they're not interested in being on cabinet is lying. I will definitely be putting my name in for cabinet," said Abernethy.

Only 39.96 per cent of eligible voters headed to the polls in the Great Slave riding, a dismal number but one that nonetheless held the highest turnout in any of the Yellowknife electoral districts this election. In 2007,

Great Slave had a 56.7 per cent voter turnout.

Scott, a television journalist, published author and one-time land claim negotiator for the territorial government, spent election night with supporters, family and friends at the old Body Works facility on 54 Street.

Scott said he was disappointed with the results, stating "it's the community's bigger loss than mine.

"It's disappointing that people aren't willing to vote for change."

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