Although Elections Canada has not finalized the results from the federal election on Monday, the outcome is clear for Haldimand-Norfolk: our riding re-elected Conservative Party of Canada candidate Leslyn Lewis as MP.
As of 12:10 p.m. on Tuesday, with 265 out of 266 polls reporting, Dr. Lewis had received 41,539 votes out of 72,218, or 57.5 per cent of ballots cast in the riding.
The runner-up was Liberal Party of Canada candidate Colin Walsh with 26,317 votes, meaning he was the top choice of 36.4 per cent of constituents who voted.
As many locals and pundits expected, the contest was a two-horse race. New Democratic Party candidate Shannon Horner-Shepherd finished a distant third with 2,412 votes, garnering support from just 3.3 per cent of locals who voted.
Finishing fourth was Green Party of Canada candidate Nate Hawkins with 760 votes (1.1 per cent), followed by People’s Party of Canada candidate Henry Geissler in fifth place with 659 votes (0.9 per cent), and Christian Heritage Party of Canada candidate Lily Eggink with 531 votes (0.7 per cent).
The federal election also played out as a two-horse race between the Conservatives and Liberals nationally, with more than one party receiving over 40 per cent of the nation’s vote for the first time since 1930. Liberals won or are leading in 168 ridings compared to 144 for the Conservatives. Until more polls report, it remains unclear whether newly elected Prime Minister Mark Carney will helm a minority or majority Liberal government.
