Saint John-Saint Croix has stayed blue – with Conservative MP John Williamson retaining his seat.
The riding added a large urban, industry-based region in Saint John West as part of a redrawing of the federal boundaries, as well as, the area of Burton.
He said during an interview with The Courier that adding the new areas was a challenge.
“We made a real special effort to get to know the city,” he said of Saint John West during the interview. “I spent a lot of time going to visit businesses, and individuals in the city just to both get a sense of the people there, introduce myself, but also get a broader understanding.”
Williamson also spent a lot of time in Burton.
“We had some really big events, especially up in Burton. The place was packed and that was great to see,” he said.
He said he heard a lot of things overlapping when he was door knocking, with constituents talking about affordability, crime, and the desire for change.
“I also heard people that wanted to maintain the status quo as well,” he said. “So, that’s why it was a competitive election and we fought every single day.”
Williamson, who will now again be a part of the Official Opposition, said he looks forward to being able to advocate for what is best for his riding.
He vowed to work across the isle to do what is best for the constituents of Saint John-Saint Croix, adding he would continue to advocate for Housing Accelerator Fund money.
Charlotte County was entirely shut out from the fund two consecutive years. The fund provides municipalities money to build affordable housing.
Williamson was one of more than a dozen Conservative MPs who advocated for the fund, a program Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre vowed to cut as part of his election campaign.
“I’ll go back again. We’re going to have to wait to see what the government looks like,” he said.
He said he does feel like a lot of time has been lost amid the turmoil of the Liberal party and former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s resignation – on key crises the country is facing including the ongoing trade war with the U.S.
“I do think that after tonight, Canadians are going to come together and we will approach the U.S. president and the United States,” he said. “That’s not to say we won’t have our debates inside of Parliament, but I am confident that this country is going to negotiate hard with the president and we will have a united front when it comes to dealing with (U.S. President) Donald Trump.”
He faced off with Liberal candidate Karen Ludwig, who won the riding in 2015.
She described the results as disappointing.
“I’m really proud of the campaign that we ran and the people that stepped up,” she said. “I mean, there’s not many that would step back into the race. I did.”
Ludwig lost in 2019 by 24 percentage points to Williamson. She was the first Liberal to claim victory in the riding since 1997.
She said she does feel gratitude toward those who helped her with the campaign and does feel like she carried the message the party was hoping to get across well – about unifying Canadians.
“They (supporters) feel proud of the campaign that they ran, contributed to, and they got my message and Carney’s message out at as many doors as we possibly could across the riding,” she said.
Ludwig believes there is a lot of work to be done to repair the relationships on both sides of the aisle.
“I think it was a tough election,” she said. “It definitely demonstrated Canadian unity and that Canadians across the country were pulling together and wanted to protect our sovereignty and our independence as a nation.
“I hope that I offered hope for women to not only step in, but it’s okay to step back in.”
Elections Canada says 211 of 212 polls are reporting in Saint John-Saint Croix, with 72.4 per cent of registered electors voting.
Williamson received 25,982 votes, or about 53.1 per cent of votes. Ludwig received 20,267 votes, or about 41.4 per cent of the vote.
National results
Multiple major news outlets declared fairly early into the results on April 28 that the Liberals would form the government – securing a fourth term, as a minority government.
Prime Minister Mark Carney won his seat in Nepean, a riding in Ontario. Meanwhile, Pierre Poilievre lost his seat in Carleton. Although, he has indicated he will stay on as leader.
In New Brunswick, the status quo held steady. Six Liberals were elected and four Conservatives, with the battle in Miramichi-Grand Lake still too close to call.
As of noon on April 29, the Liberals hold 168 seats, and the Conservatives have 144. The Bloc Quebecois hold 23, the New Democratic Party with 7, and the Green Party with 1.
Several ridings remain too close to call.
— with files from Vicki Hogarth.
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