Denise Savoie resignation means a by-election will occur before next spring's provincial campaign

Denise Savoie won in Victoria with more than 50 percent of the vote in the 2011 election.

Montrealais

The resignation of Victoria NDP MP Denise Savoie for personal reasons could conceivably have ramifications in the next provincial election.

That's because federal by-elections must be held within 180 days of the Speaker informing the chief electoral officer that the seat is vacant.

And if the NDP wins in a landslide going into a provincial election campaign, it will encourage party members to work that much harder to beat the B.C. Liberals.

Savoie revealed in a statement today that she is stepping down after receiving a "health warning" in the spring from her doctor, who advised her to adopt a healthier lifestyle. Her resignation takes effect on August 31.

This means that at the latest, Victoria residents will elect a new MP in early March.

And given recent history and the federal election polls, it's very likely that the NDP will hold the seat in the House of Commons.

The last Conservative to win Victoria was Allan McKinnon in the Mulroney landslide in 1984.

The NDP's John Brewin captured the seat in 1988, and it was held by Liberal David Anderson from 1993 to 2006.

Savoie, a bilingual teacher, won with successively larger margins over three elections, topping out at 50.78 percent in last year's campaign.

A federal NDP by-election victory in Victoria in March 2013 would give the provincial wing a positive jolt just as Adrian Dix is about to lead his candidates into a campaign.

That's because a win would not only spur on campaign workers, it could also offer gentle encouragement to donors to open their wallets for the provincial campaign. In politics, people and companies sometimes have a vested interest in being seen to be backing a winner.

Follow Charlie Smith on Twitter at twitter.com/csmithstraight.