All fear Vicki Huntington. Or maybe it's all respect Vicki Huntington. Either way, with less than six months to go until the next provincial election, it's looking like potential challengers to our independent MLA are going to be members of a rather exclusive club.
There's little doubt that when you're the first independent elected to the legislature in more than half a century you enjoy a great deal of personal popularity. Huntington's narrow defeat of Liberal cabinet minister Wally Oppal in 2009 solidified her standing in political circles and made her decision to spurn overtures from both major parties an astute one.
Three-and-a-half years later it looks like that political cred is as strong as ever given the dearth of challengers lining up to take her on next May.
The provincial Conservatives have already gone on record as saying they won't run a candidate in Delta South out of respect to Huntington and the Greens quickly followed suit.
Both would have siphoned votes from the incumbent, the Conservatives giving disaffected Liberals another landing spot and the Greens taking some of her environmental support.
Not having to deal with either of those scenarios dramatically improves Huntington's re-election chances, as does what's unfolding with the other two parties that will actually put a name on the ballot to challenge the former longtime municipal politician.
In the Liberal camp, their highest profile potential candidate, former Delta school board chair and current Delta Chamber of Commerce president Kelly Guichon, remains non-committal about seeking the nomination, leaving the very real possibility that political newcomer Bruce Fougner ends up being acclaimed by the governing party.
As for the New Democrats, their highest profile candidate, first-term civic councillor Sylvia Bishop, is headed to the more friendly environs of Delta North in a bid to succeed NDP MLA Guy Gentner, even though she lives in Tsawwassen. The NDP in Delta South has acclaimed Nic Slater, who ran a credible second for the party in last year's federal election.
If you're scoring at home, that means two parties won't run anyone and the other two might not put their most recognizable candidate forward.
I'm sure there are a number of factors, both personal and political, at play in those various decisions, but it's hard not to think the stature Huntington has quickly achieved in her first term in Victoria has played a significant role.
