The election results have come in, announcing Lisa Marie Barron as the new Member of Parliament for the Nanaimo-Ladysmith Riding.
The riding was a three way race on election night, between the NDP, Greens, and Conservatives, and one of few across the nation close enough for its results to hinge on mail-in ballots.
Barron won by just over a thousand votes with 29-percent of the vote, with the Conservative’s Tamara Kronis coming in second with 27-percent, and incumbent-Paul Manly finishing third with 24-percent.
Barron returned the seat to the New Democratic Party which had held the seat from its creation in 2015 to 2019, when the Green’s took the seat in a by-election.
“We’ve talked about the deep roots of this riding being New Democrat,” stated Barron when asked about what it meant when they got the seat back, “and people are really excited about the idea of us having a New Democrat voice again, so yeah, I’m excited for the possibility of that happening again for this riding.”
In terms of priorities for the riding, Barron stated that “improving affordability for everyday people, the climate crisis, and of course truth and reconciliation are three commitments for sure I’ve been talking about and people have been telling me about at the door.”
She gave thanks to her volunteers, supporters, and her family for support.
The full interview with Barron, recorded last Thursday— before all the votes were counted— is available below.
