Nigel Elliott could very well be the first B.C. Liberal candidate to campaign on Grindr, the well-known gay dating app.
“A lot of guys in the gay community use it, and it’s an effective tool,” the Vancouver-West End hopeful said of his decision to reach out to potential voters on the social media platform. “I thought, ‘Why not use it for something political?’”
The response was largely positive, he said, and provided an interesting insight. “If people are going to be rude to you, they’ll be rude to you on Facebook. People are very nice on Grindr.”
People on the app were interested in learning about the Liberals’ policies, the 29-year-old candidate said, and he found the exchanges largely positive, whether voters said they were going to vote for him or not.
As to whether people questioned his political allegiance to the more conservative party, Elliott said, “I don’t think there’s an expectation and both parties have something to offer our communities.”
Elliott was up against popular MLA Spencer Chandra Herbert, who has represented the West End in the provincial legislature since 2008.
Chandra Herbert handily won the riding with 61 per cent (12,195 votes). Elliott came in second with 23 per cent (4,583), and the Green Party’s James Marshall garnered 14 per cent (2,701) of the votes as of 11 p.m. on May 9.
“I have a lot of respect for him,” Elliott said of the re-elected NDP politician.
Having formerly worked behind the scenes as a provincial ministerial assistant, it was quite a different experience to be on the asking end of people’s votes, said Elliott.
“It’s unfortunate I was not successful,” said the first-time candidate, noting he found the campaign a positive experience overall. “It reinforced my view of human nature.”
Courier editor-in-chief Martha Perkins spent election night at the BC Liberals' headquarters at the Fairmont Waterfront.
