Rising Conservative star wins Haldimand-Norfolk
Leslyn Lewis is Ottawa-bound after resounding victory
Leslyn Lewis has landed in Haldimand-Norfolk.
The former Conservative party leadership hopeful — criticized by some local Conservatives as a “parachute candidate” — was handily elected on Monday, winning the largely agricultural riding with 47.5 per cent of the vote.
Victory for Lewis was assured with 261 of 262 polls reporting.
“I am excited. This is wonderful,” Lewis told The Spectator from the village of Walsh in Norfolk County, where she gathered to watch the results come in with a small group of campaign staff and volunteers.
“There are many things that I feel we need to address to make sure that our community is not left behind,” she continued, listing housing affordability, improving poor internet connectivity and long-term-care services for seniors, and helping farmers cut red tape as areas she intends to focus on.
“I plan to use my strong advocacy skills (and) reach across the floor and work in collaboration with other members of Parliament to make sure our needs are met,” Lewis said.
Lewis fended off Liberal candidate Karen Matthews, a winery manager and first-time candidate who finished second with 27 per cent of the vote, ahead of NDP candidate Meghan Piironen, a university student who garnered 13.4 per cent.
The seat became open when six-time incumbent Conservative MP Diane Finley announced her retirement in May after representing the riding since 2004. Finley endorsed Lewis, a Toronto-area lawyer who had never held elected office, as her successor.
A pro-life social conservative, Lewis received some flak on the campaign trail for only recently moving to Dunnville. But voters sent her to Ottawa with a strong mandate to represent the staunchly Conservative riding.
Lewis said on Monday she is not interested in pursuing the party leadership at this time.
“I think right now I have big shoes to fill here in replacing Diane Finley, so (party) leadership is not something that’s on my mind,” she said.
This election saw local support surge for the People’s Party, which in 2019 garnered just 2.1 per cent of the vote in Haldimand-Norfolk compared to 10.7 per cent for PPC candidate
Ken Gilpin this year.