Ontario Election 2025: Health care and affordability key issues in the riding of Essex

Eight candidates are eager for your votes in the riding of Essex, many of them pointing to healthcare and affordability as key election issues. 

Here's who's running, in alphabetical order:

Brigitte Belton - New Blue Party

New Blue Party candidate Brigitte Belton is a truck driver living in Wallaceburg. She describes herself as one of the leaders of the self-described Freedom Convoy in southwestern Ontario. 

"I am a hard worker. I work 70 hours a week currently, and if I need to work more, I will. I believe in an open door policy. You will always have access to me," she said. 

Tackling affordability is one her top priorities, as is ensuring everyone has a family doctor. She said her party wants to rehire every doctor and nurse that was let go due to COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

"People who work hard, who go to work every day are now suffering. They're having a hard time paying bills," she said, adding that effective leadership is needed to address the issues affecting the province.

Stephen Higgins - Green Party of Ontario

Green Party of Ontario candidate Stephen Higgins is a lifelong Kingsville resident and entrepreneur, currently running PURE Mobile Wash.

"I'm going to be a strong independent voice and the Green Party platform allows their candidates to be that strong independent voice that represents the riding at Queens Park and not the party to the riding," he said. "Politics should be done that way."

Addressing healthcare — especially mental healthcare — and education are his biggest priorities. 

"Investing in education is investing in our own future. We are all going to age and we need to have people that are able to solve the problems that we'll be facing when we're older," he said. 

Travis Jacques - Ontario Party

Travis Jacques is running for the Ontario Party, which describes itself as a party defending freedom, family and faith.

CBC was unable to reach him for an interview.

(Incumbent) Anthony Leardi - PC Party of Ontario

Incumbent Anthony Leardi was first elected as MPP for the PC Party in 2022.

He is a lawyer and former deputy mayor of the Town of Amherstburg.

His campaign manager told CBC he was unable to participate in an interview.

In posts to campaign social media, Leardi notes the party's need for a strong mandate in the fight against tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump, as well as the endorsements the party has received from unions across the province.

He has also posted about protecting Ontario's energy sector. 

Kevin Linfield - None of the Above Direct Democracy Party

Holding the banner for the None of the Above Direct Democracy Party is Kevin Linfield, an aerospace engineer who lives in Essex County. 

He describes himself as a "concerned voter" who does not like how party politics have been playing out across Ontario and the country for some time. Addressing the housing shortage is his top priority. 

"I am very concerned that my children will not be able to afford a house in Ontario," he said, explaining that he would be advocating for duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes to be built on regular lots, as well as smaller homes.

He acknowledges most people won't choose him this election, but said, "Doesn't matter who you're voting for, whether it's Conservatives, Liberals, Greens, NDP or None of the Above, I would want people to get out and vote. Please don't stay home. Vote."

Rachael Mills - Ontario NDP

Ontario NDP candidate Rachael Mills describes herself as a community activist who has worked in healthcare and customer service. 

Improving healthcare and affordable housing options are her top priorities. 

"We need sustainable land use planning to ensure that we're building the homes that we need in the communities that we know and love that have the infrastructure and not continue to threaten and jeopardize our natural environment and our agricultural lands," she said.

She says when the election was called, "I knew that I had to get out there and really provide people the opportunity to feel hopeful. We have the solutions. We have a fantastic platform and plan to address all of these concerns."

Tamara Stomp - Ontario Liberal Party

Ontario Liberal candidate Tamara Stomp is from Kingsville and works as a lawyer in Windsor. She also served on Kingsville's town council for 11 years from 2003 to 2014, including as deputy mayor for the final four years.

Her top priorities in this election are housing, education and healthcare, adding that she herself does not have a family doctor. She said the province needs to open up more schools or programs to take in students wanting to become doctors.

"I have a lot of knowledge, a lot of experience, and I believe that in the public I have a lot of integrity. I want to tell you the truth. I do not want to sugarcoat it," she said. 

"Ontarians are facing these tariff issues and all the big problems that have come with Doug Ford's reign of seven years where he has not fixed the home healthcare, the homelessness, not the healthcare and not the education. They're worse than they were before that."

William Szabo Verzoc - Independent

Independent candidate William Szabo Verzoc describes himself as a disability rights advocate living with Crohn's disease, with a background in medical studies. 

"I'm running because I believe our party system has ultimately failed us and it's important that we as individuals are able to be nominated and run as independents and speak our minds and contribute to this particular election process," he said.

He cites healthcare as his top priority, saying he would like to increase the number of medical school placements in Ontario, and lift some restrictions for Canadians who have studied abroad.

"We all have to be healthy in order to live our best lives," he said. "I would say yes, in order to have a thriving society, you have to have a healthy society in order to get people off the streets, right? They have to be healthy, both in body and in mind."