Ontario’s Progressive Conservatives will maintain their 13-year hold on the riding of Lambton-Kent-Middlesex as Steven Pinsonneault cruised to an easy byelection win on Thursday.
Pinsonneault, a Chatham-Kent city councillor since 2006, finished well ahead of Lucan Mayor and Liberal challenger Cathy Burghardt-Jesson and the NDP’s Kathryn Shailer.
PC candidate Steve Pinsonneault wins by 9,441 votes. Turnout is 30.25 per cent.
When all the polls had closed approximately an hour-and-half after voting ended, Pinsonneault had won by 9,441 votes. He had also captured more than 56 per cent of the popular vote with voter turn out at 30.25 per cent.
The riding will remain PC blue as it’s been since 2011 when Monte McNaughton was first elected. It was last fall’s resignation of McNaughton, a cabinet minister in the Doug Ford government, that made Thursday’s byelection necessary.
McNaughton ‘paved the way’
McNaughton joined his successor, campaign volunteers and supporters at a victory celebration at the Township of Dawn-Euphemia Community Centre in the town of Florence, about 30 kilometres northeast of Chatham.
Pinsonneault thanked McNaughton for laying much of the ground work for his win.
“He played a huge role, he paved the way for me,” said Pinsonneault. “I canvassed every community here and everybody loves Monte. He did his job very well and I look to carry on that legacy.”
Pinsonneault also addressed one of the major issues in the campaign, which is local opposition to a plan by a Mississauga company to re-open a long-dormant dump in the community of Dresden.
“I don’t support this landfill expansion,” he said. ‘It’s not a good fit in Dresden. I’m with the residents on this one and my stance hasn’t changed on that.”
Pinsonneault said based on what he heard from voters over the course of the 28-day campaign, falling affordability for everyday necessities such as housing, food and fuel are the top issue.
He pointed to efforts by the Ford government to limit costs and taxes on both gas and heating.
Pinsonneault owns an auto repair shop and printing business in Chatham-Kent.
The PCs were also able to win in Milton in the other byelection held Thursday with Zee Hamid taking 47 per cent of votes. The pair of wins has increased the Doug Ford government’s strong majority at Queen’s park to 80 seats.
“We’re very grateful for the people of Lambton-Kent-Middlesex. We had two great candidates. Everyone came out to support us but we take nothing for granted,” Premier Doug Ford said at the victory party in Milton.
With these two seat filled by PC representatives, the NDP are left with 28 seats while the Liberals have nine seats, the Green Party holds two seats, and five are held by independents.