HALDIMAND—The votes are in. While nationally Canadians chose Mark Carney’s Liberal Party to lead a minority government, local voters came out in large numbers to support incumbent Conservative candidate Leslyn Lewis.
—Submitted photo/Haldimand Press photo by Nick Fearns.
As of publication on April 29, 2025, 265 of 266 local polls had reported their numbers, with 41,539 votes for Lewis accounting for 57.5% of the total local vote share.
Vote tallies were up overall, with 72,218 of 99,311 registered Haldimand-Norfolk voters casting a ballot – a 14.6% increase over the 63,017 votes cast in the 2021 federal election where Lewis first earned her seat.
Lewis’ vote count increased by 19.5% between the two campaigns, while support for Liberal candidate Colin Walsh, at 26,317 (36.4%) votes this year, was also up sharply from the 16,332 votes racked up by previous candidate Karen Matthews in 2021.
Alternately, while 2021 NDP candidate Meghan Piironen secured 8,089 votes, 2025 candidate Shannon Horner-Shepherd managed just 2,412 (3.3%) votes, a reflection of her party’s national results as the NDP is set to lose official party status following the April 28 results.
Rounding out the local candidates, Nate Hawkins of the Green Party garnered 760 votes (1.1%), Henry Geissler of the People’s Party of Canada received 659 votes (0.9%), and Lily Eggink of the Christian Heritage Party finished with 531 votes (0.7%).
Lewis pledges to address affordability, safety, and tariff impacts in second term
The Haldimand Press was unable to attend Lewis’ election party as no media personnel were permitted in the private residential venue. In a conversation with The Press the morning following the results, Lewis thanked voters for putting their trust in her once again.
“Right now, we’re at a critical time in our riding’s and the nation’s future…. There’s a lot of concern about our economy and the impact that things such as tariffs are going to have on the prosperity of various sectors in our community,” said Lewis.
She added the nation’s affordability and housing crises to the list of issues facing her constituents, calling them a “cross-generational concern” and pledging to help residents “navigate through these really rough times and come out strong as a community.”
Lewis called herself a “high vibrational person that tries to take the high road,” noting the personal difficulties she’s felt over the last few years as an outspoken critic of the Justin Trudeau and now Mark Carney-led Liberal Party.
“I felt it was very important for the people of Haldimand-Norfolk to understand the policy mishaps that have happened over the past 10 years,” said Lewis, who prided herself on “never once” attacking her political opponents in the local election. “In fact, I feel great honour and deference to them for their courage to put their names on the ballot.”
While the Liberals won the night nationally, marking their fourth term in office, Lewis praised Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre’s efforts.
“We gained over 20 seats and our leader did a great job,” she said. “I think the momentum we see in our leader is something that will continue. I hope people continue to trust his ability to lead.”
Lewis pledged to protect residents who could be impacted by tariff-related job losses, promising she won’t let them “fall through the cracks” in a trade war they did not ask for.
She also pledged to work with farmers to make sure they are “getting credit for the environmentally sustainable practices they adopt, and that any type of policy that’s directed at the environment is not punitive to our farmers as we witnessed with the carbon tax.”
Lastly, she cited the outcome of the murder trial of OPP Constable Greg Pierzchala, promising to reach out to local police services to advocate for them and ensure they have all needed resources.
Walsh concedes in Haldimand-Norfolk, vows to run again
Addressing a roomful of supporters in Simcoe on election night, Walsh reassured the crowd that, despite his local defeat, there was still cause for optimism as the Liberal Party prepares to form the next government.
“Although tonight’s result was not what we hoped for, it is naturally – we’re getting our government in place – and in a way, we all win,” said Walsh. “I am filled with pride and gratitude and optimism about what we’ve accomplished here together.”
Walsh, a local teacher, had balanced his professional and political responsibilities throughout the campaign, continuing to educate his students during the day and then canvassing and campaigning in the evenings.
On election night, he expressed deep appreciation for the many people who supported him along the way.
“First and foremost, I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to the incredible team of volunteers, our supporters, all of our community members who stood with us every step of the way. Your energy, your time, your belief in a better future made this campaign possible, and from the bottom of my heart, thank you very much. It was humbling,” said Walsh.
He reflected on the campaign’s positive tone this election, saying, “We ran this campaign the right way – with integrity, honesty, transparency, and positivity. We focused on the facts, stayed true to our values, and respected the people of Haldimand-Norfolk every step of the way, and that to me was something I loved.”
While the night did not deliver the outcome he had hoped for locally, Walsh told supporters that their efforts had built something worth continuing.
“Locally, we started something that we must continue – a movement for greater engagement, greater fairness, and greater opportunity here in Haldimand-Norfolk. This work does not end tonight.”
He pledged to remain active in the community and run again in the next election: “I don’t plan on going anywhere. I plan on staying here, and hopefully, in another four years, we continue this – and then I get to read the other speech.”
Walsh encouraged everyone involved to remember their contributions mattered.
“To everyone who believed in this campaign, please know that your voice matters, your efforts mattered, your hope matters. You matter to me. I’m very proud of what we built together, and I look forward to continuing this work alongside you in the months and the years to come.”
Walsh confirmed he had attempted to call Conservative incumbent Leslyn Lewis to congratulate her on the evening of her victory, but his call went to voicemail.
Other candidates weigh in
Christian Heritage Party candidate Lily Eggink thanked her supporters, including her co-candidates.
“Thank you to all who stepped out in faith and voted according to their beliefs rather than their fears. Congratulations to Leslyn Lewis; may you honour Canada’s Christian heritage, speak our God’s name boldly, and continue to stand firm. I will be praying for you,” she said.
Green Party candidate Nate Hawkins also thanked his co-candidates, and shared, “As for me I am very pleased with my fourth-place outcome being as it was my first dive into the political pool and this was mostly a two-party election; so yes, I’m very pleased. I have the utmost respect for the residents of Haldimand-Norfolk and plan on being a noticeable presence in the community moving forward.”
NDP candidate Shannon Horner-Shepherd shared, “I’m incredibly proud of the results I got as a candidate. It shows that at the end of a very, very hard election there are always people that want to have that choice. I think it’s so important in the riding of Haldimand-Norfolk that we have as many voices and as many options as possible. Congratulations to Leslyn on her victory, and congratulations to all the other candidates for their results…. I look forward to doing this again next time.”
PPC candidate Henry Geissler did not respond to a request for comment prior to publication.
—With files from Nick Fearns.
