Ontario Votes 2025: Health care a priority among Chatham-Kent-Leamington candidates

The provincial electoral district of Chatham-Kent-Leamington includes the town of Leamington, the city of Chatham, and the large rural areas that comprise much of Kent County below the Thames River.

At the time of the 2022 Ontario election, the riding had around 85,400 eligible voters. But only about 39,000 — less than 45 per cent — cast a ballot in the last election.

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

Matthew Davey - Green Party of Ontario

After multiple requests by CBC Windsor, the Green Party of Ontario responded that Matthew Davey "is not able to take part in any interviews."

The GPO website describes Davey as "an active businessman and family man" who was born and raised in the Waterloo region. Davey's social media indicates he is a realtor who lives and works in Cambridge.

According to the GPO website, Davey envisions an economy that is both sustainable and equitable. A quote credited to Davey expresses optimism for a future where "our successes are based on the well-being of both ourselves and our environment."

(Incumbent) Trevor Jones - PC Party of Ontario

Trevor Jones, the incumbent MPP for Chatham-Kent-Leamington, was unavailable for an interview despite repeated requests by CBC Windsor.

A Leamington native and a former OPP officer, Jones won the seat for the PC Party of Ontario in 2022. Prior to that, he was a municipal councillor for the Town of Leamington — appointed to a vacant seat on council in 2020.

On social media, Jones said he and Doug Ford will "do whatever it takes to protect Ontario, our farmers, workers, businesses and communities" from U.S. President Donald Trump's administration.

Rhonda Jubenville - New Blue Party of Ontario

Born in Chatham-Kent, Rhonda Jubenville was elected Ward 4 councillor for that municipality in 2022. She's now entering provincial politics as a representative of the New Blue Party — a party that was formed in 2020 billing themselves as the "true blue conservatives" compared to Doug Ford and the Ontario PC Party.

Jubenville told CBC Windsor that her riding is concerned about a crisis of homelessness and mental health, a lack of affordable housing, and a health-care system "in disarray."

She said she would petition the province to "stand up for Chatham-Kent-Leamington," such as establishing a Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) hub in the district.

Jubenville added that she believes Ford is handling U.S. threats of a trade war "incorrectly" by being combative with the Trump administration.

"I think we need to move the right way forward and perhaps abandon our legacy party system," Jubenville said.

Bill Kirby - Ontario Liberal Party

Bill Kirby lives and works in Cambridge as a business development manager in industrial sales. This election is his first foray into provincial politics.

Kirby told CBC Windsor that while he is not a Chatham-Kent-Leamington resident, he has a branch office in the area.

Asked why he's running, Kirby said he believes the Ford government has "completely abandoned the rural ridings. I want to make sure that the residents of Chatham-Kent-Leamington are listened to."

He pointed to housing affordability and health care as the overarching concerns of the riding's population. According to Kirby, Chatham-Kent-Leamington is among the top 10 areas in Ontario with a deficiency in family doctors.

"That is why the Liberals are committed to eliminating that deficit of family doctors within four years," Kirby pledged.

Kirby said he knows Chatham-Kent-Leamington residents are also concerned about job security and affordability.

"People are looking for the necessities of life."

Christian Sachs - Ontario NDP

A newcomer to provincial politics, Christian Sachs is the Ontario NDP candidate for Chatham-Kent-Leamington though she lives in the village of Granton, which is technically in the riding of Lambton-Kent-Middlesex.

Sachs was elected a trustee of the Thames Valley District School Board in 2022. She and her husband also have a professional wedding photography business.

Sachs told CBC Windsor she's seeking the MPP seat because she resonates "very heavily with rural communities and agricultural spaces."

According to Sachs, health care is the biggest concern for Chatham-Kent-Leamington residents. "Ensuring that our health care stays public," she emphasized.

She noted that she was born and raised in Alaska. 

"I do know what privatization looks like. I really truly feel that Canadians should be more appreciative of what they have.," she said. 

"People need to be able to get access to a doctor, get care for themselves, and be able to afford life."

Phillip St-Laurent - Ontario Party

The Ontario Party did not respond to CBC Windsor's request to interview Phillip St-Laurent — their candidate for Chatham-Kent-Leamington. 

The party was founded in 2018 to offer a more conservative alternative to the Ontario PC Party, with "freedom, family, and faith" as its core values.

In a social media video, St-Laurent said it's especially important to him to "put an end to the indoctrination in our schools."

In the same post, the Ontario Party stated that St-Laurent "wants to protect kids from the insidious ideologies" in the current education system.