Liberals hold seats in Labrador, rural Newfoundland
Former provincial cabinet minister Foote leaps to federal stage
The Liberals had little trouble Tuesday night holding strongholds in Labrador and rural Newfoundland, with the party cruising to easy victories in four incumbent seats.
Three incumbents and a former provincial cabinet minister held the ridings, continuing a longstanding tradition of rural areas pulling for Liberal candidates.
Labrador MP Todd Russell had the distinction of having the first poll to report in the country, showing a wide lead over Conservative Lacey Lewis and New Democrat Phyllis Artiss. Russell, first elected in a 2005 byelection, saw that lead widen through the night.
"It's a privilege," Russell told CBC News.
Liberal incumbents Gerry Byrne and Scott Simms both also coasted to quick wins on Tuesday night, in Humber-St. Barbe-Baie Verte and Bonavista-Grand Falls-Windsor, respectively.
The three were among the first MPs elected in Tuesday's election.
The Liberals also held Random-Burin-St. George's, a riding covering Newfoundland's south coast, with former provincial cabinet minister Judy Foote successfully leaping to the federal stage to succeed retiring MP Bill Matthews.
"A lot of hard work has paid off," Foote, who sought the Liberal nomination in the riding last year while winding down her provincial career, told CBC News on Tuesday night.
Foote, a communications director to former Liberal premier Clyde Wells, far outpaced Conservative Herb Davis, New Democrat Terry White and Green Kaitlin Wainwright.
The Liberals' victories in rural areas came in the midst of an "anything but Conservative" campaign in which Conservative support plummeted across the province.