NDP Niki Ashton re-elected in Churchill-Keewatinook Aski

NDPincumbentNiki Ashton has been re-elected intheChurchill-Keewatinook Askiriding.

With 150of 157 polls reporting, Ashtonhad1,555 votes separating her from her next closest rival inLiberalRebecca Chartrand.

Despite having a commanding lead, aspokesperson with Ashton's campaign said that as of 1 a.m., they weren't comfortable declaring they had won the race. Too many votes notably inNorway House, Nelson House and the Island Lake communities had not yet been counted, they added.

Ashtontook the Churchill-Keewatinook Aski riding with an impressive 51 per centof the vote in 2011.

Her next closest rival in that election wasConservative Wally Daudrich. He netted5,256 votes (to Ashton's10,662) and came away with 26 per cent of the vote.

The Liberal'sSydney Garrioch trailed not far behind with 20 per cent(or4,087 votes), with Green Party candidateAlberteen Spence snatching up 471 votes (2.3 per cent).

Voter turnout in the riding was 45 per cent in 2011.

Save for when theLiberals won the1993 and 2006 federal elections,the riding has been NDP orange federally since 1979.

Whoranthis year?

• NikiAshton, New Democratic Party;
• Rebecca Chartrand, Liberal Party;
• August Hastmann, Green Party;
• Zachary Linnick, Libertarian; and
• Kyle G. Mirecki, Conservative Party.

Who ran in 2011

• Niki Ashton, New Democratic Party;
• Wally Daudrich, Conservative Party;
• Sydney Garrioch, Liberal Party; and
• Alberteen Spence, Green Party.