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Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Lewis reclaims Essex riding for Conservatives
PHOTO BY JONATHAN MARTIN
Essex MP-elect Chris Lewis gives a celebratory speech after learning he’s won his riding in the 2019 federal election. The Conservatives snatched Essex back from the NDP but lost the federal election to the Liberals. By Jonathan Martin Essex is Conservative once again. Chris Lewis snatched the reigns from New Democrat Tracey Ramsey, whose one term in office had upset the Conservative Party’s 11-year hold on the riding. As the ballot counts rolled through a gathering of Lewis’ supporters, the few dozen people present
alternated between applause and tense silence. For much of the night, Ramsey was hot on Lewis’ heels. In the end, though, Lewis walked away with a 4,394-ballot lead – and almost 41.5 per cent of the riding’s total votes. “I didn’t know what tonight was going to bring,” Lewis told his supporters after his win. “I really didn’t. I had prepared two speeches and I’m really glad I didn’t need the second one.
“Essex is once again blue.” Essex may be blue, but Canada, as a whole, remains red. The Liberals managed to scrounge up a minority government with 157 seats as of midnight, down from the 184 they won in 2015 and well below the 170 they’d need to govern with a majority. To pass legislation or to survive confidence votes, they’ll need to garner support from Canada’s other political parties. The third-place Bloc Québécois or the fourth-place New Democrats are safe bets. Either would provide the Liberals with enough votes to get things done. Lewis’ comrades in blue came in second place, as far as seats are concerned. They did earn the most ballots, however, with 34.6 per cent of the popular vote. That’s a full 1.7 per cent more than the Liberals. “People responded to our positive Conservative message,” Lewis said. “I’m exceptionally proud of our platform.” Tamra Walls-Muise, a grade four teacher at Essex Public School, said the message Lewis brought to her students and the way he presented it turned her into a supporter. “Chris (Lewis) came and spoke to my students and I was very impressed with him,” she said. “He answered all of their questions and all of my questions very clearly and gave very valid reasoning that made me think, ‘This is my guy.’” Walls-Muise’s “guy” could be seeking her support again sooner rather than later. In a minority government, the prime minister and his or her cabinet find themselves outnumbered. It’s easy for the other political parties to declare that they have no confidence in the sitting government, which usually triggers a new election. It’s happened six times before; most recently in 2011, when the federal Conservatives were found to be in contempt of Parliament. For now, though, Lewis said he’s excited to serve Essex. “Tonight, we celebrate,” he said. “Tomorrow, we roll up our sleeves.”
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