Progressive Conservative candidate Monte McNaughton has been re-elected as MPP in Lambton-Kent-Middlesex.
The Sydenham Current caught up with McNaughton in a telephone interview, shortly after he was announced as the winner in the riding.
McNaughton said he was very humbled.
“My focus from Day 1 was to focus on our riding and our communities here in Lambton-Kent-Middlesex and that is what I did,” he said. “I just thank the people for re-electing me.”
McNaughton added: “I think our campaign was about bringing people together and I really worked hard to bring people of all different political stripes to our campaign. Over the last two and a half years as MPP I’ve worked on behalf of everybody. I just thank the voters tonight for re-electing me.”
McNaughton said it was a stressful day.
“It’s always an anxious day for people who are running for office,” he said. “Today was the 10-month birthday for my daughter Annie, so I always thought that might be a good luck charm. I was down in Wallaceburg and throughout Kent County in the riding just thanking our volunteers. “I also went into the polling stations and thanked the people for working in the polling stations.”
McNaughton avoided discussing the fact that a Liberal majority government was being projected, saying that he hadn’t been following the province-wide results.
“I’ve heard how the trend is going, but my focus was always on the communities that I represent here in Lambton-Kent-Middlesex,” he said. “I’m going to Queen’s Park, I’m going to continue to stand up for the people here regardless of partisan stripe and ensure that our voices are heard in Toronto. I think we are continuing to see a Toronto versus the rest of Ontario political attitude happening and that is thanks largely to the McGuinty-Wynne Liberals. I will continue to fight. I know it’s an uphill battle, but I won’t stop.”
Editor’s note: We spoke with McNaughton before the announcement by Ontario PC leader Tim Hudak that he was stepping down as the party leader. Watch for a follow-up to this angle of the story on the Sydenham Current.
