'Change is long overdue': Aglukkaq paints Nunavut Tory blue

Nunavummiut chose Conservative Leona Aglukkaq as their new member of Parliament Tuesday, ending the Liberals' 20-year stronghold on the eastern Arctic.

Aglukkaq, a former Nunavut MLA and cabinet minister, defeated Liberal Kirt Ejesiak in a close race that stretched late into Tuesday night.

Aglukkaq declared victory around 1 a.m. ET Wednesday, securing 2,806 votes, compared to 2,359 votes for Liberal candidate Kirt Ejesiak.

"I think, you know, if we're going to take Nunavut to the next step of trying to develop the resources, and to move forward in a number of areas that I had presented in my platform, it's good to have a Conservative government for the North, representing the North and moving it forward," she told CBC News shortly after she delivered her victory speech to party faithful.

"I think the change is long overdue," she added.

Nunavut had been a Liberal territory since 1988, when Jack Anawak was elected MP for what was then called the Nunatsiaq riding.

The riding was most recently held by Liberal Nancy Karetak-Lindell, who had served four consecutive terms since 1997 but decided not to seek re-election.

That opened the race for a new MP in Nunavut, which included Ejesiak, Karetak-Lindell's Liberal successor.

'Proof is in the pudding'

Numbers for Ejesiak and Aglukkaq were neck-and-neck at times early Tuesday night, before Aglukkaq gained the lead. At the end of the night, Aglukkaq garnered 35 per cent of the popular vote over Ejesiak's 29 per cent.

"It will be interesting to see what [Conservative Leader Stephen] Harper does deliver," a disappointed Ejesiak said at his election night party.

"He certainly does talk about helping the North, and I guess the proof is in the pudding."

Coming close behind Ejesiak was NDP candidate Paul Irngaut, who came in with 2,228 votes, or 27 per cent of the popular vote.

While Irngaut said he was pleased with his party's numbers, despite the third-place finish, he suggested that Elections Canada's new voter identification resulted in fewer voters.

"I think a lot of it has to do with the number of people that were turned away at the polling stations," Irngaut said.

Finishing a distant fourth place was Green party candidate and former NDP MP Peter Ittinuar, coming in with 675 votes.

Voter turnout in Nunavut was pegged at a low 49.4 per cent, according to preliminary numbers by Elections Canada.