Conservative candidate Clifford Small is projected to narrowly win the riding of Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame, a major upset in what has long been a Liberal stronghold.
Small beat incumbent Liberal MP Scott Simms by just 264 votes. The result came after four extra days of ballot counting, with mail-in ballots ultimately securing Small’s victory.
Simms had won every re-election bid since he was first elected to Parliament in 2004, making him the longest-serving MP in Newfoundland and Labrador up until this election. In 2019, he surpassed 50 per cent of the vote — a feat he was unable to repeat this time, with both Simms and Small claiming about 46 per cent.
The Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame riding was created by the 2012 federal electoral boundaries redistribution. It went into effect during the 43rd Canadian federal election in 2015.
The riding is comprised mostly of the former riding of Bonavista—Gander—Grand Falls—Windsor, as well as from the former ridings of Humber—St. Barbe—Baie Verte and Random—Burin—St. George’s.
It’s located between the ridings of Long Range Mountains and Bonavista—Burin—Trinity. The infamous Fogo Island is within this riding’s boundaries.
Candidates
NDP: Jamie Ruby
Liberal: Scott Simms (incumbent)
Conservative: Clifford Small