PC Vic Fedeli has won re-election in Nipissing by a wide margin, more than doubling the votes of his nearest competitor,
It was clear in the first few minutes after the polls closed as Fedeli took the lead and never looked back.
He told supporters that it was his seventh election and he considers it his best ever. He complimented his "remarkable team."
"Thank you, I have to say I'm honoured how hard you worked to help me get re-elected."
Fedeli mentioned the very serious threat to Ontario and Canada from Donald Trump and said meetings start Friday with the Feds.
"It's a very serious economic war and I don’t know if people understand the consequences. Retaliation will be necessary, we need to roll up our sleeves and get to work," he said.
Colton Chaput of the Green Party offered a statement at 9:30. “Congratulations to Vic Fedeli for his re-election. I look forward to seeing him work with community leaders across party lines to fight for Nipissing!“
Newcomer Chaput, a University of Ottawa nursing student, spent election night working a shift in a mobile hospital unit in the nation's capital before meeting up with some Ottawa-based Green candidates.
The Green candidate for Nipissing is proud of the campaign he ran and, while not committing to another run in four years (or three if Ford seeks an early majority), he promises to stay involved with his community work.
"It's been a great experience," said Chaput from Ottawa. I think I was caught by surprise a little bit with the amount of work, but I've been having a great time. And you know what? We're well on our way to breaking the records for Nipissing for Green votes, so I'm excited to keep the momentum going for us."
With almost 80 per cent of the polls reporting, Fedeli has an 9,000 vote lead over second place Loren Mick of the NDP.
"This campaign underlined the challenges we're facing in Nipissing - stories from the streets, in our classrooms, and the emergency room," said Mick in a statement. "We're all impacted and we all must continue to hold governments to account. Upstream investments in our foundations: healthcare, housing, education, roads, our environment - These investments ensure we all can lead meaningful, dignified, and prosperous lives."
Ontario Party candidate Scott Mooney added his congratulations.
Mooney told BayToday “The voters have decided, and I congratulate Vic. I’ve always liked the man, he’s always been one of the good people. My concern is the party line.”
To his supporters, Mooney said, “I truly appreciate the support, and I know there will be more in the next election.” As for that next election, Mooney assured supporters, “We will be ready.”BayToday attempted to contact the Libertarian candidate Michelle Lashbrook, but her phone went unanswered.
Sadly voter turnout was very poor, hovering around the 49 per cent mark. In the 2022 election it was just over 48 per cent. Provincially the number was 44.09%.
At 10 p.m. with 58 of 70 polls reporting Fedeli had 16,706 (55%), NDP Loren Mick 7,589, Liberal Liam McGarry 3,730, Green Party Colton Chaput 1,210, Libertarian Michelle Lashbrook 492 and Ontario Party candidate Scott Mooney 465.