Tories easily hang onto western N.B.
Conservative candidate and incumbent Richard Bragdon easily won the Tobique-Mactaquac riding Monday night with more than 60 per cent of the vote with most polls counted.
Liberal Julian Moulton had about 32 per cent of the vote.
'I am honoured and thrilled to continue to you represent this riding,' he told his supporters gathered at the Best Western Hotel Plus Woodstock Inn & Suites.
'When I first started, I was told you run like you are five points down and never stop running until the end of the campaign,' he told Brunswick News after his victory speech. 'Tobique-Mactaquac is filled with amazing people and to hear the stories at the door and to hear the challenges that people are facing, whether its the cost of living, or affordability … I hope that we are entrusted with the ability to govern in whatever shape that may take.'
At the time, he was still watching as results came in from the rest of the country, and despite not knowing how his party did nationally, he said he'll be working for his constituents in either form – within government or holding 'government to account.'
'You make sure that you are that critical lens that is looking on decisions governed to make sure the best policies possible come forward that better reflect the concerns of our region, which often gets overlooked,' he said. 'It is important that rural Canadians feel like they have a strong voice and standing up for small towns, agriculture, resources, manufacturing, trucking, these are things that fill our region, and we need more voices in the House of Commons.'
Bragdon, who has held the western New Brunswick riding since 2019, won in the 2021 election with a landslide 51 per cent of the vote. His closest rival was Liberal Cully Robinson, with 23.9 per cent of the vote.
During his time in the last parliament, Bragdon introduced a bill that was passed into law to prevent criminals from reoffending after serving their sentences by supporting rehabilitation and reintegration programs.
— with files from Shana Grey
— — —
Tobique-Mactaquac candidates:
Conservative : Richard Bragdon
Liberal : Julian Moulton
People's Party : Vern Brundle
Green Party : Liam MacDougall
New Democrat : Michael John Winter
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