The Liberals have their man in Delta South.

Longtime civic councillor Bruce McDonald won the party's nomination by a wide margin at the Delta Town & Country Inn Tuesday evening.

McDonald's only challenger was Tsawwassen resident Bruce Fougner, president of a Vancouver travel agency and a member of the Delta Hospital Foundation board.

"I'm very grateful to have won this nomination, and credit my fellow candidate Bruce Fougner for helping bring some great energy to the riding," said McDonald.

"The B.C. Liberals have a major process of renewal going on across B.C., and I'm glad to be a part of it."

Around 100 local Liberals gathered to hear presentations from both candidates before voting.

McDonald, who was first elected to Delta council in 1987 and twice ran for mayor, entered the race at the end of December. He pointed to his experience and belief in strong fiscal management.

In his speech, McDonald noted several accomplishments while on council, including obtaining much needed funding for river dredging and the lowering of the municipal debt.

McDonald said before late Liberal MLA Fred Gingell joined the provincial race in the early 1990s, Gingell had asked him to be the candidate for the riding.

Career and family circumstances prevented him from throwing his hat in the ring at that time, said McDonald, but now he'll strive to be a politician like Gingell, a man who believed in cooperation and hard work.

McDonald enters this year's provincial election with a party struggling in the polls, however, he'll be running in a riding that has a history of voting right of centre.

It's also riding facing a myriad of issues.

Delta South MLA Vicki Huntington has stated she would likely remain an independent in this year's election.

Huntington narrowly beat Liberal cabinet minister Wally Oppal in the 2009 election by garnering enough disaffected Liberal voters.

It remains to be seen what scenarios play out in this year's election, but McDonald told the Optimist he believes voters will see that after four years much more can be accomplished by an MLA if that person isn't on their own as an independent.

"It's like having a brand new computer that looks shiny and has power, but it's not plugged in," said McDonald.

The Conservatives and Greens announced they wouldn't run candidates in Delta South out of respect for Huntington.

The New Democrats acclaimed Nic Slater.

sgyarmati@delta-optimist.com