HALIFAX – The Liberal Party wave that swept ridings across Atlantic Canada in Monday’s federal election knocked three prominent NDP incumbents from Parliament.
In Halifax, deputy NDP leader Megan Leslie lost her seat to Liberal challenger Andy Fillmore. The riding had been held by the NDP since former leader Alexa McDonough was elected in 1997.
Supporters flocked to the Delta Barrington, showing their shock and disappointment on their faces and in their tweets online.
Leslie addressed the crowd when she arrived, saying she thought her campaign was flawless, but her disappointment was hard to miss.
“I am incredibly proud of the campaign that we ran here in Halifax, I am disappointed in the result, but I am not disappointed in what we did together here as a team,” she said.
Peter Stoffer, who served as veterans affairs critic for the NDP, lost in the Sackville-Preston-Chezzetcook riding to Darrell Samson, the superintendent of schools for Nova Scotia’s French school board.
READ MORE: Federal Election 2015: Liberals dominate in Atlantic Canada
Stoffer had held the seat since 1997 and won six consecutive elections. Early polls suggested he would emerge victorious a seventh time.
After the loss, Stoffer said the momentum carried by the Liberals was too strong for him to win re-election.
“Well obviously I’m disappointed. I was hoping we would win and be successful cause you always do. You go in you are confident, you look at the numbers you knock on doors, you figure my experience and working with constituents. But it happens I am fine,” Stoffer said.
In Dartmouth-Cole Harbour, Robert Chisholm fell to Liberal candidate and former Halifax city councillor Darren Fisher. Chisholm won the seat in 2011 from Liberal incumbent Mike Savage, who would go on to become the mayor of Halifax.
Early on tonight, things weren’t looking good for Chisolm, and that it was going to be hard to get ahead.
“The desire for change was really strong,” Chisolm said.
The Liberals swept all of Atlantic Canada, waving a red banner across the entire region and kicking off the cross-Canada domino effect.
Global News later declared a Liberal majority for the country.
With files from Dave Squires, Natasha Pace and Julia Wong
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