NDP Secures Victory in Elmwood—Transcona Byelection

The New Democratic Party (NDP) has declared victory in the federal byelection for the Winnipeg riding of Elmwood—Transcona. With most of the votes counted, NDP candidate Leila Dance has emerged as the winner. In an emotional speech to her supporters, Dance expressed her optimism about representing her constituents in Ottawa, even though a few polls were still pending final results.

Conservative candidate Colin Reynolds conceded defeat and thanked his volunteers for their efforts during the campaign, acknowledging the challenging attempt to sway voters in a traditionally NDP-dominated area. “While this certainly was not the result we were hoping for, I’m proud of the work we did here,” he stated, addressing the crowd at the Royal George Hotel.

In the Elmwood—Transcona riding, Dance secured 12,563 votes, maintaining a lead over Reynolds, who garnered 11,178 votes. Liberal candidate Ian MacIntyre received 1,230 votes, while Green candidate Nicolas Geddert received 336 votes. The People’s Party’s Sarah Couture and the Canadian Future Party’s Zbig Strycharz trailed behind with 327 and 117 votes, respectively.

The riding has been an NDP stronghold, barring the 2011 election when the Conservatives managed to secure a majority government under Stephen Harper. This byelection was made necessary following the resignation of the previous NDP representative, Daniel Blaikie, who departed to join Wab Kinew‘s provincial government in Manitoba.

Alongside the Elmwood—Transcona byelection, another byelection is taking place in the Montreal riding of LaSalle—Émard—Verdun. There, the race remains highly competitive, with the NDP, Liberals, and Bloc Québécois in close contention. In a record-setting move, the Montreal riding has 91 candidates on the ballot, and final results are anticipated by the early hours of the morning.

Further details and updates on the election results can be found through Elections Canada, which will refresh the outcomes every 90 seconds.