British Columbia's New Democratic Party swept the Liberals in two Vancouver byelections on Wednesday night.

NDP candidate Jenn McGinn beat Liberal Party rival Margaret MacDiarmid in Vancouver-Fairview with 4,488 votes.

MacDiarmid tallied 3,985, while Green Party candidate Jane Sterk had 742.

In Vancouver-Burrard, the NDP's Spencer Herbert is Victoria-bound after securing 6,500 votes. Arthur Griffiths, the Liberal Party candidate, came in second with 4,822 votes.

Speaking from the NDP headquarters Wednesday night, NDP leader Carole James called the win "the beginning of the road to victory for the party next May."

New MLA Spencer Herbert agrees.

"It certainly feels that way," Herbert told CTV's Stephen Smart. "The voters have been telling me they want a change and they're sending that message of change."

Herbert also agrees with James' sentiment that the win is a direct result of Premier Gordon Campbell not listening to voters - saying it's a message he's heard often.

"People haven't been listened to in Vancouver-Burrard, and we're standing up to speak for them and with them," says Herbert.

Voter turnout was poor in both metro ridings -- 28 per cent in Vancouver-Burrard and 27 per cent in Vancouver-Fairview -- and both winners will hold their seats for only seven months since the next provincial election is set for May, 2009.

Still, a jubilant NDP leader Carole James said the results are a signal that B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell is wrong to be so "out of touch" with the electorate.

"It shows his arrogance has to stop,'' she told CTV.

Despite Wednesday's loss, the losing Liberal candidates, Arthur Griffiths and Margaret MacDiarmid, have both indicated they will run again.

Speaking from the Liberal Headquarters in Vancouver, Premier Gordon Campbell admitted he's disappointed at the defeats, saying Griffiths and MacDiarmid are outstanding candidates.

But he notes the governing party has not won a byelection in B.C. since 1981 and the Liberals "weren't quite able to break that 27-year jinx."

The byelections were called after former Liberal Lorne Mayencourt resigned his Vancouver-Burrard seat to run in last month's federal election as a Conservative.

Former New Democrat Gregor Robertson resigned his Vancouver-Fairview seat to run for Vancouver mayor in next month's municipal elections.

The two ridings have alternated between the Liberals and New Democrats in recent provincial elections.

Max Logan, a spokesman for Vancouver-Fairview Liberal candidate Margaret MacDiarmid, said people are deeply concerned about the economic downturn and the potential damage it could cause to themselves and the province.

"About half-way through the campaign the mood really shifted and it became all about the economy," he said. "The first couple of weeks homelessness was the biggest issue."

Voters said they were deeply concerned about their property values, personal savings and many wanted to discuss the Liberal government's plan to weather the economic storm through accelerated tax cuts and government project spending, said Logan.

With reports by CTV British Columbia's Reshmi Nair, Stephen Smart and The Canadian Press