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Some drama, but Liberals hold on to Nickel Belt, Sudbury

Marc Serré beats back challenge from Stef Paquette, sees Grits working with NDP

Someone didn’t tell Stef Paquette that candidates usually don’t show up to their party election night until the results are known.

The first-time politician showed up about 30 minutes before the polls closed, knowing he would find out the results alongside everyone else at Cousin Vinny’s in Hanmer.

It turned out to be a tense night, as Liberal incumbent Marc Serré took a small lead early, but not big enough to decide the race, even an hour after the polls closed. 

But the lead grew larger and sometime after 11 p.m., it was over. Serré won by almost 3,000 votes, a margin slightly larger than 2015.

True to form, Paquette gave an upbeat concession speech, thanking his family and supporters in between one liners.

“Their loss!” someone from the crowd shouted, as Paquette replied “Thanks dad!.”

Over at the Serré camp, the mood was understandably brighter. He said the riding changes hands often, and all he could do was work, work, work.

"Nickel Belt has always kind of been a swing riding, but history has shown that if an incumbent works hard, the people of Nickel Belt reward the incumbent with continuing for a second mandate," he said.  "It's an election, you put your faith in the people at the ballot box, you've got to wait, you've got to be patient but I'm pretty proud of the four years. When you look at an incumbent versus a new candidate people look at your record and what you've done and I'm proud of our staff and the work that we've done in the community. 

“I was pretty confident that we've done a good job locally and did a good campaign."

He was happy he would be returning to Ottawa alongside Sudbury MP Paul Lefebvre, who also held his seat.

"It's huge,” Serré said. “I represent 45 per cent of the population of Greater Sudbury, Paul represents 55, so together when we're in Ottawa, we tag team with ministers and we work closely together.”

Lefebvre won by about 5,500 votes over NDP candidate Beth Mairs. At his victory rally, he congratulated Mairs and the rest of the candidates for the way they campaigned.

"It was a cordial campaign, and I believe that's the way all campaigns should be run," he said. "As a Liberal, I want to make sure everyone has an equal chance at success. That to me is what drives me on a daily basis."

As he hugged his mom, who came up on the stage, Lefebvre said he wants to keep being the "voice of Sudbury in Ottawa. It's going to be another great four — or two — years."

The reference to a two- or four-year mandate will largely depend on whether the Liberals and Justin Trudeau try to govern as a coalition with another party, or work for support on a case-by-case basis. 

Serré said that remains to be seen, but sees a natural partner.

"We'll see what happens,” he said. “But a lot of our platform aligns really well with the NDP, when you look at helping the middle class, helping families, helping children, helping seniors, more investments in communities. 

“I think there's a lot of alignment and locally here in Nickel Belt I've been active with a lot of the unions here, some of them have publicly supported my candidacy so I'm going to continue to do that locally, because people want to improve the lives of their families and the unions have been a big part of that."

Results (as of 1 a.m. Oct. 22)
 

Sudbury

Bill Crumplin, Green Party: 2,690 (6.6 %)

Chanel Lalonde, Animal Protection Party: 249 (0.6 %)

Paul Lefebvre, Liberal:16,517, 40.6 %

Beth Mairs, New Democratic Party: 11,830 (29.1 %)

Sean Paterson, People's Party: 834 (2.1 %)

J. David Popescu, Independent: 62 (0.2 %)

Pierre St-Amant, Conservative: 8,273 (20.4 %)

Charlene Sylvestre, Independent: 179 (0.4 %)

Nickel Belt

Aino Laamanen, Conservative: 9,901 (21.4 %)

Casey Lalonde, Green Party: 2,508 (5.4 %)

Mikko Paavola, People's Party: 1,099 (2.4 %)

Stef Paquette, New Democratic Party: 15,005 (32.4 %)

Marc G. Serré, Liberal: 17,860 (38.5 %)


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Darren MacDonald

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