Progressive Conservative candidate Lin Paddock has won the byelection in Baie Verte-Green Bay. (Lin Paddock/Facebook)
Progressive Conservative candidate Lin Paddock secured victory in the Baie Verte-Green Bay byelection, triumphing over competitors by a substantial margin of over 3,000 votes.
With results from all 52 polls tallied, Paddock emerged with an impressive 79 percent of the vote, totaling 4,271 votes, according to unofficial figures released by Elections Newfoundland and Labrador. In comparison, Liberal candidate Owen Burt garnered 1,035 votes, while NDP contender Riley Harnett received 96 votes. Voter turnout stood at approximately 56.5 percent, with 5,402 ballots cast out of a potential 9,562 eligible voters.
Paddock's win signifies a changing of the guard, as he replaces former Liberal MHA Brian Warr, who had represented the district since 2015. This victory marks Paddock's second attempt at securing the district's seat, having previously contested in the 2021 general election under the PC banner, where he narrowly lost to Warr by 171 votes.
The Baie Verte-Green Bay district, formerly known as Baie Verte-Springdale, encompasses 40 communities situated along the northern coastal region of central Newfoundland.
This byelection marks another success for the Progressive Conservative Party under the leadership of Tony Wakeham. The party's previous victory came in the April byelection in Fogo Island-Cape Freels, where candidate Jim McKenna secured a seat in the House of Assembly.
Despite the PC's recent wins, the Liberal Party maintains a majority in the legislature, holding 21 out of 40 seats. Following Paddock's win, the PC's seat count rises to 13, while the NDP retains three seats. Additionally, two MHAs remain as Independents.
Paddock attracted media attention last week for remarks made during a debate in Green Bay regarding the provincial government's efforts to recruit doctors from overseas. He suggested focusing recruitment efforts on regions like Germany, where outdoor activities are highly valued, rather than countries like India and Pakistan, where professionals may eventually relocate to urban centers like Toronto. Paddock later clarified his statements in an interview with CBC News, acknowledging them as poorly worded and asserting they were not intended to be derogatory.
The Baie Verte-Green Bay byelection marks the third such electoral event in Newfoundland and Labrador this year. Another byelection is anticipated later in the year following Health Minister Tom Osborne's announcement of his retirement in July.
