(Fredericton) Voters in the northern New Brunswick ridings of Baie-de-Miramichi-Neguac and Miramichi-Sud-Ouest-Baie-du-Vin have given two new MPs to the Progressive Conservative government of Blaine Higgs to the occasion of two by-elections held on Monday.
Posted at 9:36 p.m.
Réjean Savoie was elected in Baie-de-Miramichi-Neguac with a 533-vote lead, while Mike Dawson won in Miramichi-Sud-Ouest-Baie-du-Vin with a majority of 805 votes. Liberal Party candidates took second place in both races.
This is a return to the Legislative Assembly for Mr. Savoie, who sat under Bernard Lord from 1999 to 2003. He becomes only the second French-speaking member of the Progressive Conservative government.
The Progressive Conservative Party, Liberal Party, Green Party and People’s Alliance had all registered candidates in both ridings. There was also an independent candidate running in the riding of Baie-de-Miramichi-Neguac.
The leader of the New Democrats, who announced he would step down later this month due to infighting within the party, did not field a candidate in either riding.
Just over 42% of qualified voters exercised their right to vote.
By-elections are designed to fill positions that were left vacant when two members of the Legislative Assembly resigned to run in the last federal election.
As a result of those results, the Progressive Conservatives have 30 of the 49 seats in the Legislative Assembly, while the Liberals have 16 and the Greens have three.