By The Canadian Press
The exterior of the Manitoba Legislature is seen in Winnipeg, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods)
The Manitoba NDP has won a provincial byelection to hold onto the east Winnipeg riding of Transcona.
The byelection was held to fill the seat formerly held by Nello Altomare, the Manitoba education minister who died in January.
Shannon Corbett, a vice-principal, won for the New Democrats with more than 3,600 votes.
Unofficial results on the Elections Manitoba website show Progressive Conservative candidate Shawn Nason, a former city councillor, in second place with close to 1,600 votes.
Liberal candidate Brad Boudreau and Independent candidate Susan Auch received just over 200 votes each.
The NDP now has 34 seats in the 57-seat legislature, while the Tories have 21, the Liberals have one, and there is one Independent.
The Transcona seat has been a longtime NDP stronghold and has only once voted for another party — the Progressive Conservatives in 1988.
Premier Wab Kinew congratulated Corbett in a statement.
“Shannon is going to be an incredible MLA,” Kinew said. “An educator, a volunteer, Transcona-born and bred.”
Corbett said in a statement that she was “proud to pick up the torch” lit by Altomare.
