PORT HAWKESBURY: A political newcomer made headlines across the province by upsetting a cabinet minister who recently marked 20 years of political life.
In unofficial results from Elections Nova Scotia, Progressive Conservative candidate Alana Paon took 3,336 votes to 3,316 votes for Liberal incumbent Michel Samson, good for a 20 vote majority, after the ballots were counted early Wednesday morning. NDP candidate Larry Keating finished third with 1,006 votes.
“I am honoured to have been elected by the voters of Cape Breton-Richmond,” Paon said in a statement issued Wednesday morning.
“It was a tight race and I feel great with the results.”
Paon was the top vote-getter in 12 polls in mainland Richmond County, good for a more than 200 vote advantage, and placed first in all polls in Port Hawkesbury, winning the town by more than 100 votes. The PC candidate also took Louisdale and won polls in West Arichat and D’Escousse.
“Throughout the campaign, I had a sense that the constituency was ready for a change,” Paon noted.
“After 19 years of the same sitting member, the people of [Cape Breton-Richmond] wanted fresh ideas and a new way of how their voice makes it to the legislature. I realize that defeating a sitting cabinet minister is a huge feat, however, my focus continues to be on constituency issues and getting to work.”
For his part, Samson was strong on Isle Madame, winning by over 240 votes, but the former cabinet minister won only seven polls off the island.
“It was a tight race, but that’s how it goes,” Samson said early Wednesday morning after the results were final.
“Our whole goal was to make inroads in Port Hawkesbury and that didn’t happen.
“A couple of wins here and there would’ve made the difference.”
Samson was first elected to the riding of Richmond back in 1998 after winning a hotly contested nomination in 1997 under the leadership of former Premier Russell MacLellan.
Since that first election, Samson was re-elected seven times with comfortable majorities in the former Richmond riding.
In the 2013 provincial election, after the riding was expanded to include the Town of Port Hawkesbury and eastern portions of Cape Breton County, then renamed Cape Breton-Richmond, Samson took 56.5 per cent of the vote with 4,369 total votes, good for a majority of 2,673. In that election, PC candidate Joe Janega had 1,696 votes and Bert Lewis of the NDP finished close behind with 1,667 votes.
In the wake of his first political defeat, Samson added that he is undecided about his plans for the future.
“It was a privilege and an honour to serve the public and I look back with pride at what we were able to accomplish,” the outgoing MLA noted.
“I debated running again after seven terms but I wanted the opportunity to work for the people again. They made a choice and I respect their decision.”