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The outcome of Monday night’s federal election suggests a continuation of Liberal governance on a national level; however, in Manitoba—especially in rural areas outside of Winnipeg—there seems to be minimal change as election results come in.
Prior to the election, five out of six ridings in rural Manitoba were held by Conservative candidates, with the exception of Churchill—Keewatinook Aski, which is represented by the NDP and encompasses much of the northern region of the province.
The electoral patterns in rural Manitoba for 2025 mirror those of the previous election in 2021, with Conservative dominance remaining strong in five ridings. In Portage-Lisgar, Branden Leslie secured his position, continuing a legacy of over 20 years of Conservative representation. Ted Falk, who has held the Provencher seat since 2013, is also returning. Dan Mazier retained his seat in Riding Mountain, and James Bezan is set to serve a fourth term in Selkirk-Interlake-Eastman.
Notably, Grant Jackson, a Conservative candidate, emerged victorious in Brandon-Souris, taking over from longtime MP and former MLA Larry Maguire, who stepped back due to health issues. Jackson won decisively against Liberal candidate Ghazanfar Ali Tarar and NDP’s Quentin Robinson.
In the riding of Churchill—Keewatinook Aski, a significant shift occurred as Niki Ashton, who had held the seat since 2008, lost to Liberal candidate Rebecca Chartrand.
Turning to Winnipeg, the political landscape was slightly more varied leading up to election night.
In the previous election cycle of 2021, the results included two Conservative MPs, four Liberals, and two NDP members. Several notable changes preceded the 2025 election. For instance, Elmwood-Transcona’s MP, Daniel Blaikie (NDP), left his post in March 2024 to pursue a provincial role, with Leila Dance succeeding him in a by-election last September. As of early Tuesday, Dance was trailing behind the Conservative candidate Colin Reynolds.
“Obviously (the results) weren’t what we were hoping for,” Dance remarked. “We were aiming for victory, but sometimes, things don’t go our way—such is politics.”
Another significant departure was that of longtime Liberal MP Dan Vandal, who stepped down from his St. Boniface-St. Vital seat before the election. This opened the door for Ginette Lavack to secure the position for the Liberal party.
In Winnipeg Centre, a tightly contested race unfolded between NDP incumbent Leah Gazan and Liberal Rahul Walia. Gazan, facing stiff competition in a national trend that has not favored the NDP, managed to stay ahead of her Liberal opponent as of early Tuesday morning.
In Winnipeg South, a pivotal riding, Liberal incumbent Terry Duguid, who serves as the minister of environment and climate change under Prime Minister Mark Carney, successfully retained his seat against Janice Morley-Lecomte from the Conservatives and Joanne Bjornson of the NDP. Duguid expressed optimism about the prospective government led by Prime Minister Carney, stating, “Prime Minister Carney has the skills, the experience, and the calm resolve that are needed to guide us through these extraordinary times.”
In a closely watched contest in Winnipeg West, formerly known as Charleswood-St. James-Assiniboia-Headingley, Liberal challenger Doug Eyolfson defeated Conservative incumbent Marty Morantz, marking Eyolfson’s return after previously serving as the area’s MP from 2015 to 2019.
Additionally, the Liberal party celebrated victories in two more Winnipeg ridings, with Kevin Lamoureux and Ben Carr returning in Winnipeg North and Winnipeg South Centre, respectively.
Source
globalnews.ca