Ontario Votes 2025: Haldimand-Norfolk

• Read all of CBC Hamilton's coverage of the Ontario election here. 

The Haldimand-Norfolk riding made history last provincial election when it elected Ontario's first Independent MPP without a past win with a political party. 

Incumbent Bobbi Ann Brady is running again as an Independent candidate.

Leading up to the 2022, Brady was supported by outgoing, longtime Progressive Conservative MPP Toby Barrett but the PC Party officially backed another candidate.

Brady was considered an underdog at the time, but won as an Independent. This time, she is running against a different PC candidate — Amy Martin, mayor of Norfolk County. 

Haldimand-Norfolk borders Lake Erie to the south and encompasses several towns and communities including Delhi, Simcoe, Port Dover, Townsend, Cayuga and Caledonia. Over 116,700 people live in the riding. 

CBC Hamilton sent a survey to major party candidates, or their party representatives. Their responses, edited for length and clarity, are reflected below.

Also running for MPP is Gary Tanchak for the New Blue Party. 

Bobbi Ann Brady, Independent

Before running for office in 2022, Brady, 49, was executive assistant to former MPP Barrett for 23 years.

She says she's "a true independent voice" not bound by "party overlords." 

"The common sense advice and opinion of my constituents is what guides my decision making," she said. "Democracy is in peril and many people in leadership positions are doing their best to silence us." 

The most worrisome issues she hears about from residents is health care and home care. Thousands of people in Haldimand-Norfolk don't have a family doctor, for example, a situation she said she will continue working to change. 

Erica Englert, NDP

Erica Englert is a lifelong Dunnville resident and one of the NDP's youngest candidates at 19 years old, says a party news release. She has volunteered with Pride Haldimand-Norfolk, and is vice president for activism at the University of Ottawa, where she attends.

"Navigating rural life (especially as a young person), I have noticed a lot of inequalities between our smaller communities and those in larger cities," Englert said.

"Education, health care, housing, and basic public services are not commodities to be taken away at the whim of a politician." 

Amy Martin, PC

Martin, 36, is mayor of Norfolk, and on administrative leave to run in this election, which she said is "the most important in recent memory." 

"With the continued threat of U.S. tariffs bringing uncertainty to our economy and our livelihoods, it has never been more important to have a strong, stable government fighting to protect Ontario," she said. 

She will bring the same energy as she has to municipal politics, she said, and help Party Leader Doug Ford protect Ontario from the "disastrous" tariffs."

Tariffs are the most pressing issue for riding residents, Martin said. 

Vandan Patel, Liberal

Vandan Patel did not fill out CBC Hamilton's questionnaire. He is on the board of directors for the Liberal Party of Canada, is a secretary at the Royal Canadian Legion in Cambridge and previously owned a local business, says his LinkedIn profile.

"From supporting local businesses and farmers to strengthening healthcare and education, I'm committed to delivering real solutions that matter to you," Patel posted on his Facebook page.

Also running

• Gary Tanchak, New Blue Party: Information is not readily available online about Tanchak's campaign.