PC candidate Marco MacLeod declared unofficial winner of byelection in Pictou West

Progressive Conservative candidate Marco MacLeod has won the byelection in Pictou West, according to unofficial results posted on Tuesday night by Elections Nova Scotia.

MacLeod had a significant lead over his opponents throughout the evening, with the NDP candidate in second place, the Liberals in third and the Greens rounding out the field.

"All a person's got is reputation and work ethic and I've been blessed to come from a family that has these attributes in spades," MacLeod told a cheering crowd at a Pictou restaurant, referencing the seventh-generation family farm where he lives and runs his own sawmill.

"We've been picking stones from the fields of MacLeod Meadows for over 200 years and here we are tonight. It took a lot."

In an interview with CBC News, MacLeod, who has also worked as an engineer and flight instructor, said he felt overwhelmed by the support in the room at his victory party. He said he's always had an interest in politics and loves Pictou West.

"This is where I was born and raised and where I live, so I really want to represent the people here and improve life around here," he said.

MacLeod finished with 72.48 per cent of the vote. Voter turnout was 48.09 per cent, or a little less than half of the eligible voting population.

"Tonight, once again, the people had their say and they said we believe in the PC Party and we believe in Marco MacLeod," Premier Tim Houston said ahead of MacLeod's victory speech.

These are the unofficial results released by Elections Nova Scotia:

• PC candidate Marco MacLeod with 4,159 votes.
• NDP candidate Melinda MacKenzie with 949 votes.
• Liberal  candidate Mary Woolridge-Elliott with 548 votes.
• Green Party candidate Clare Brett with 82 votes.

In a news release announcing the unofficial results, Elections Nova Scotia said the official addition is scheduled for Thursday at 10 a.m. at the Pictou West returning office. It explained a candidate is officially declared elected when the writ of election has been completed and returned by the returning officer to the chief electoral officer.

Kind words for retiring MLA

The byelection was held to fill the seat held by the PC's Karla MacFarlane. MacFarlane, Nova Scotia's first female Speaker of the House, announced her retirement in April.

When asked about MacFarlane's time as an MLA, MacLeod noted she was present in the community and someone who was easy to reach out to if needed.

"She would check up on neighbours. When Hurricane Fiona blew through, she visited our farm, made sure everything was OK. So that meant a lot to us as constituents and I hope to continue that," MacLeod said.

In a news release following the vote, the Nova Scotia NDP acknowledged its candidate, Melinda MacKenzie, had a "strong showing" with a second place finish ahead of the Liberals and Green Party. It noted this byelection was the local teacher and Pictou town councillor's first time running for provincial office.

"I want to thank all my fellow candidates for running a great campaign and no matter the result, there is no doubt that the NDP is back in Pictou County," MacKenzie said in the news release.

Liberals fall short of key threshold

The third-place finish for the Liberals marks their second-consecutive stinging result in a byelection. Last summer, the party finished third in the Preston byelection, a seat the Liberals previously held for 20 years.

Tuesday's result saw the party slip from a second-place finish in Pictou West in the 2021 provincial election to third and its vote share plummet to 9.5 per cent. Because the party failed to reach the 10 per cent threshold, its candidate will not qualify for a partial expenses reimbursement from Elections Nova Scotia.

In a statement, Liberal Leader Zach Churchill said his party would continue to focus on its work as the Official Opposition at Province House.

"Whether we hold this seat in the legislature or not, we will continue to hold the government to account on the promises they made to Nova Scotians that have yet to be fulfilled."