NDPer Malcolm Allen concedes, Liberal Lisa Hepfner becomes new Hamilton Mountain MP

CHCH reporter Lisa Hepfner, a Liberal candidate, has just turned the Hamilton Mountain riding red.

Hepfner was named Hamilton Mountain MP Wednesday evening two days after the federal election after Malcolm Allen of the NDP conceded. Allen has trailed her by fewer than 1,000 votes.

"I want to congratulate Lisa Hepfner on winning her campaign to become the next MP in Hamilton Mountain," Allen said in a statement. "I wish her luck representing the hard-working people of this riding.

"I want to thank all candidates and their teams, Elections Canada workers and volunteers for participating in our democratic process."

Elections Canada workers are still counting special and mail-in ballots for the riding. For much of Wednesday, only 749 votes separated Hepfner andAllen.

As of Wednesday afternoon, Hepfnerhad16,034 votes (34 per cent). Allen, a former Niagara Centre MP, had15,285 (32.4 per cent). That's where the total will stay until Thursday morning.

Hepfner, who doesn't live in the riding, says she's interested in moving there but doesn't want to make promises she can't keep right now. But she says she knows the area well through her work, so "hopefully people don't care where I sleep at night."

"I can't move now becauseI have a son and I have a family situation," she said. "It's nothing I can change right way. Absolutely, in a few years I can see myself moving to Hamilton Mountain."

Hepfner says her goal is to build relationships at the federal and provincial level. She says she wants to work on issues she heard while door knocking were priorities affordable housing, child care, long-term care.

"I want to make sure Hamilton Mountain is heard in Ottawa," she said. "I think I'm known for being able to listen to people really well and amplify their stories, and I'm very excited and gratified and honoured I have the opportunity to do that in Ottawa."

The Mountain was the tightest race of Hamilton's five electoral districts, the restof which were decided on election day Monday.

The riding has been NDP since 2006, and its former MP Scott Duvall announced in March that he wouldn't run again. Duvall endorsed Allen, a one-time Niagara Centre MP who was unseated by the Liberals in 2015, to be his successor. Allen is also an electrician who's served on the executive board of Unifor.

By the end of day Wednesday, with all 155 polls reporting, Conservative Al Miles had11,576 votes, or 24.5per cent. People's Party candidate Chelsey Taylor earned 3,035votes (6.5 per cent) and Green candidate Dave Urquhart, who did not actively campaign, had946votes (two per cent). Jim Enos of the Christian Heritage Party had326 votes.

Hepfner will be one of three Liberal MPs in Hamilton, with the others being newly re-elected MP Filomena Tassi in Hamilton West-Ancaster-Dundas and new MP Chad Collins of Hamilton East-Stoney Creek.

Other Hamilton MPs elected Monday include incumbent NDP MP Matthew Green in Hamilton Centre and Conservative Dan Muys in Flamborough-Glanbrook.