Although the Progressive Conservatives came out of the Feb. 27 provincial election with a third majority government, local races saw NDP incumbents Jamie West (Sudbury) and France Gélinas (Nickel Belt) triumph.
In Sudbury, according to the unofficial results, Progressive Conservative candidate Max Massimiliano, a first-time political hopeful, came within 2,571 votes of West, who has been the city’s MPP since 2018. West had 14,765 votes and Massimiliano 12,194.
Sudbury.com reporters Tyler Clarke and Heidi Ulrichsen took video to bring you the sights and sounds of election night at the West and Massmiliano campaign parties, which were held at the Trevi Tavern and the Caruso Club, respectively.
Check out our video above.
The last Progressive Conservative who held office provincially in the Sudbury riding was former MPP (and Sudbury Mayor) Jim Gordon back in 1987.
Liberal candidate Rashid Choudhry Mukhtar came in third in Sudbury with 3,352 votes, followed by the Greens’ David Robinson with 747 votes, and New Blue Party candidate Brady Legault with 421 votes and Independent candidate David Popescu with 317 votes.
In Nickel Belt, the PCs’ Randy Hazlett also came in second to the incumbent, the NDP’s France Gélinas. In Hazlett’s case, he lost by nearly 4,500 votes, according to the unofficial results.
Gélinas got 17,123 votes and Hazlett 12,629.
Liberal candidate and Greater Sudbury city councillor Natalie Labbée came in third with 3,874 votes, while New Blue Party candidate Paul Devincenzo got 676 votes, Green Party candidate Connie Hill got 631 and Libertarian James Chretien got 470.
Heidi Ulrichsen is Sudbury.com’s assistant editor.