NDP's Leila Dance hangs on to party's stronghold seat in Elmwood-Transcona byelection

Leila Dance has heldon to the New Democratic Party's seat in the eastern Winnipeg riding of Elmwood-Transcona, defeating Conservative Colin Reynolds in a federal byelectionthat was called following the resignation of the area's longtime representative earlier this year.

Dance won the riding by a margin of 1,158 votes, coming out with 13,606 ballots or 48.1 per cent of the vote according topreliminary results from all polls posted by Elections Canada.

Voter turnout in Monday's byelection was just over 39 per cent.

The race was triggered by theresignation of Daniel Blaikie, the riding's longtime NDPmember of Parliament,earlier this year. It saw Dance campaign to hold the seat for the New Democrats, which it has won inevery vote since the riding's inception except in 2011, when the Conservatives won a majority government under Stephen Harper.

"I will fight for Elmwood-Transcona," Dance told cheering supporters at what becameher victory celebration at Junction59Roadhouse lateMonday night. "I promise to make you all so proud of me, and I will see you in Ottawa."

But the margin of victory for the party is narrower this time than in yearspast a sign that while theNDPhas pulled in enough votes to win again, the party's brand has taken a bit of a hit.

Dance, a small business advocate, bestedReynolds by aboutfour percentage points a fraction of what former MP DanielBlaikieposted in theriding last time.

The Elmwood-Transcona seat was left vacantafterBlaikie resigned in March to take a job with Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew's NDP government. Blaikie wonthree elections for the NDP and served more than eight years as MP.

WATCH | Leila Dance thanks voters, supporters:

Leila Dance claims victory in Elmwood-Transcona byelection

4 days ago

Duration 4:44

Leila Dance, the NDP candidate in Winnipeg's Elmwood-Transcona riding, addresses her supporters late Monday night. Dance held on to her party's seat in the byelection, defeating Conservative Colin Reynolds in a race called after the resignation of the area's longtime NDP representative earlier this year.

At Dance's byelectiongathering Monday night, Blaikie said her victory shows she was speaking to issues that matter to working people in northeast Winnipeg.

"I think it's a testament to the fact that, you know, working-class voters pay attention," he said.

"Saying some sweet words and not following up with action isn't going to woo voters. You have to actually show up when it counts."

'Not the result we were hoping for'

Reynolds, an electrician whosecampaign aimed to unseat the NDP bydrawing attention to the two-year confidence-and-supply deal between the New Democratsand the governing Liberal Partywhich the NDP said it wasending earlier this monthconceded defeat in a speech to supporters Monday night.

"While this certainly was not the result we were hoping for, I'm proud of the work we did here," Reynolds told people gathered to watch the results come in at Royal George Hotel."We were the underdog in this, and we made it a tight race."

The results of the byelection will also have implications for both the NDP and Conservatives in the lead-up to the next federal election,according to experts who spoke to CBC'sPower &PoliticshostDavid Cochraneon Monday night.

Mlanie Richer, a former communications director for the NDP, said the win comes as a bit of a relief for some in the party.

"I know it seems like a hold, and it is obviously, but folks were really worried about that one so the fact that we can say that [the NDP won] is really great," she said.

• Do you have questions about this byelection or what it could mean for the next federal election? Send an email toask@cbc.ca.

Meanwhile, Fred DeLorey, a former national campaign manager for the Conservatives, said while Reynolds was defeated in the byelection, he did much better than the party typically does in the longtime NDP stronghold.

"Going up 15 per cent is something to be very proud of for the Conservatives. They've obviously worked very hard on their message it's resonating," DeLorey said.

The Elmwood-Transcona byelection saw Liberal candidate Ian MacIntyresecure 1,360 votes in the riding, while the Green Party's Nicolas Geddertreceived366 votes,People's Party of Canada candidate Sarah Couture got 349and the Canadian Future Party's Zbig Strycharzhad 132.

The Liberalshave not finished higher than third place in Elmwood-Transcona since 1997.

Elmwood-Transcona is one of two Canadian ridings where a byelection was taking place Monday.A byelectionwas also held in LaSalle-mard-Verdun,a Montreal riding most recently held by former Liberal cabinet minister David Lametti.

NDP's Leila Dance hangs on to party's stronghold seat in Elmwood-Transcona byelection

3 days ago

Duration 1:58

Leila Dance has held on to the New Democratic Party's seat in the eastern Winnipeg riding of Elmwood-Transcona, defeating Conservative Colin Reynolds in a federal byelection that was called following the resignation of the area's longtime representative earlier this year.