Steve Pinsonneault’s second win in just over nine months was declared less than nine minutes after the polls closed.
“I worked really hard. Even right from the time I got elected in May, I started going to every community,” said Pinsonneault after his win.
“I know my opponents, they didn’t go to the doors like I did. And I think the ground game is very, very important.”
It worked, as the Conservative MPP got 25,297 votes, or 53 per cent of the vote. The Liberal candidate, Cathy Burghardt-Jesson, finished second with 12,397 votes, and the NDP candidate Kathryn Shailer finished third with 5,779 votes.
Pinsonneault celebrated his win with friends and family at the Thamesville Sertoma clubhouse and is ready to bring the big issues, like the economy, to Queen’s Park.
“Let’s face it. If your economy’s not good, it’s hard to deal with these other issues like health care and education…you got to have a strong economy first,” said Pinsonneault.
Pinsonneault called Premier Ford “Captain Canada” and the best one to deal with the threat of tariffs. Stating, if imposed, they would have a crippling effect on Ontario, especially the auto industry.
“We have to have our cards all in on this one and I think Premier Ford is the leader to do that,” said Pinsonneault.
“Health care and everything else, you have to make sure that you deal with the economy in order to have money in place for everything else.”
The MPP for Lambton-Kent-Middlesex was previously a Chatham-Kent councillor for 17 years, a business owner and former volunteer firefighter.
Pinsonneault first won the riding in Lambton-Kent-Middlesex in a by-election last May, after former MPP and Labour Minister Monte McNaughton left politics to enter the private sector.
