Conservative Leslyn Lewis wins Haldimand-Norfolk

Conservative incumbent MP Leslyn Lewis has retaken the Haldimand-Norfolk federal riding.

By J.P. Antonacci

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Conservative incumbent MP Leslyn Lewis has retaken Haldimand-Norfolk.

Lewis was elected to her second term on Monday, April 28, comfortably beating out Simcoe schoolteacher and Liberal candidate Colin Walsh.

“I’m just very, very pleased that the people of Haldimand-Norfolk have entrusted me for a second time to represent them and be their voice in Parliament,” Lewis said when reached by phone while watching the results come in at a private gathering.

The win for Lewis continues a 20-year run of Conservative dominance in the rural riding that started when former MP Diane Finley was elected to the first of her six terms in 2004.

Lewis, a Toronto-area lawyer, breezed to victory in 2021 despite being a newcomer to the riding. Four years later, she said concerns about affordability have multiplied, especially among local youth.

“Some of them are really worried about whether they’ll ever be able to own a home and whether there are going to be jobs there for them,” Lewis said.

There was “a lot of concern” among residents Lewis spoke with during the campaign about U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats against Canada, she added.

“People were so fatigued and worried and perturbed. This is our neighbour that we would have never expected this from,” Lewis said.

“My background’s in international law, and I was able to speak with them one-on-one about how we could really strengthen ourselves as a nation and ensure that we hedge and protect ourselves against any aggression from the United States.”

In the last session of Parliament, Lewis was often seen sitting on the Conservative front bench, a few seats from party leader Pierre Poilievre. She was appointed to the Conservative shadow cabinet in 2022, becoming the party’s critic for infrastructure and communities.

Lewis has twice run for the leadership of the federal party. In the House of Commons last year, she endorsed a citizen’s petition calling for Canada to leave the United Nations and associated groups like the World Health Organization.

Walsh, an educator, sports coach and union rep, has lived in Norfolk for over a decade. Crediting his two young children for inspiring his first foray into federal politics, he stressed the need for strong local representation.

- J.P. Antonacci is a Local Journalism Initiative Reporter based at the Hamilton Spectator. The initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.

Haldimand-Norfolk results

Leslyn Lewis, Conservative: 41,218 (57.6%)

Colin Walsh, Liberal: 26,040 (36.4%)

Shannon Horner-Shepherd, NDP: 2,412 (3.4%)

Nathan Hawkins, Green: 750 (1.0%)

Henry Geisseler, PPC: 657 (0.9%)

Lily Eggink, CHP: 529 (0.7%)

Total number of valid votes: 71,606

Rejected ballots: 360

Voters on the electors list: 99,311

Validation Date: April 30, 2025