London-Fanshawe flips Conservative as nearly 2-decade orange wave ends

Isha Bhargava · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 29, 2025 2:37 AM EDT | Last Updated: 4 minutes ago

For the archetypal clip successful its history, London-Fanshawe volition person a Conservative dependable successful Ottawa arsenic newly elected Kurt Holman took location an unexpected win, uprooting nearly 2 decades of NDP reign successful the east-end riding. 

Despite the Tories falling abbreviated of forming government, Holman won with much than 23,500 votes, defeating NDP incumbent Lindsay Mathyssen, who has represented the riding since 2019. 

"This triumph isn't conscionable for me; it's for the citizens of London-Fanshawe, and I consciousness it's fantastic due to the fact that adjacent though it whitethorn beryllium a Liberal number government, I inactive consciousness that London-Fanshawe volition person a amended presumption astatine the table, compared to a 3rd enactment presumption of the NDP," said Holman. 

It was an affectional loss for NDP incumbent Lindsay Mathyssen, who came successful 3rd spot connected Monday with conscionable implicit 15,900 votes. The Liberal's Najam Naqvi finished 2nd with astir 17,600 votes.

"I'm truthful arrogant of each the enactment that we did. This was a pugnacious campaign, but I've ever been taught that we person to respect voters' choice, and we'll conscionable proceed to combat due to the fact that radical request New Democrats," said a teary-eyed Mathyssen, pursuing her concession speech.

"We did unthinkable things that I person seen firsthand, truthful it has been the honour of my beingness to beryllium the MP for the past five-and-a-half years, and that work to the assemblage means truthful overmuch to me, truthful I'm conscionable truthful precise arrogant of my squad arsenic well."

The riding, which was established successful 1997, has been an orangish stronghold since 2006 erstwhile it was won by Mathyssen's mother, Irene Mathyssen. The NDP upset continued passim the state arsenic the enactment mislaid each but 4 seats, including its person Jagmeet Singh, who announced helium volition measurement down arsenic the party's head. 

The riding was important for the NDP, but aboriginal polls indicated a adjacent contention betwixt Mathyssen and Naqvi. Both Singh and Liberal Prime Minister Mark Carney spent the last agelong of their campaigns successful London connected Friday, hoping to instrumentality the spot which has present turned blue. 

When asked what this means for the NDP, Mathyssen said the enactment volition behaviour a run debrief and deliberation astir what the aboriginal holds. She said threats from U.S. President Donald Trump caused galore residents to ballot strategically. 

"I was the lone 1 who would decision the Conservative to clasp together, but the interaction of Trump and the radical going done that honeymoon signifier with Carney allowed the Conservative to travel up the middle," she said.

"It's hard, but I bash person to respect the voters' prime successful this, truthful we'll conscionable unrecorded to combat different day. We conscionable person to prime up the pieces aft contiguous and fig retired however we rebuild."

Holman, a long-time Londoner with an IT absorption background, has volunteered with galore assemblage groups. Despite his victory, Holman said it wasn't an perfect result for the Conservatives, who, up until a fewer months ago, were poised to signifier a bulk government. 

Holman said the main issues helium heard from constituents were concerns astir the outgo of surviving and expanding crime, which helium plans to tackle arsenic his apical precedence successful Ottawa. 

"I volition admit, I was hoping for a Conservative majority, but I am excited with the accidental to correspond the radical of London-Fanshawe arsenic their Conservative Member of Parliament and enactment with everyone successful Ottawa to marque Canada a amended state than it is present and besides to assistance marque London-Fanshawe a amended riding than it is now," helium said.