Jenica Atwin wins re-election after switch from Greens to Liberals in Fredericton
It took a couple of extra days to complete the counting, but Jenica Atwin has been re-elected in the riding of Fredericton -- this time for the Liberals -- by a slim margin of just over 500 votes.
"We are here now to celebrate," Atwin said Wednesday afternoon as she addressed supporters in the same ballroom where they had gathered on election night Monday. "Fredericton, we did it again."
In 2019, Atwin won the riding for the Greens by beating Conservative Andrea Johnson by about 1,600 votes. In June, she crossed the floor to join the Liberals after a public spat with Green Party Leader Annamie Paul.
Atwin had called the Green leader's statement on violence in the Palestinian Territories "completely inadequate" and called on Israel to ".EndApartheid" in a Twitter post on May 11.
That post has since been deleted, though Atwin told CTV's Question Period on June 13, "I certainly stand by what I'm saying." The next day, she adjusted her stance on Israel to align with the governing Liberal party she had just joined.
On Monday, the lead switched back and forth between Atwin and Johnson numerous times, and at the end of the night the result was too close to call with more than 2,500 mail-in and absentee ballots yet to be tallied.
"We've been holding our breath for two days," Atwin said Wednesday after the final result was announced.
She thanked supporters and became emotional as she thanked family members for their support during her switch to the Liberals and the subsequent election campaign.
Atwin appealed to everyone in the riding, especially those who did not vote for her. "Come speak to me, come work with my office for anything you need," she said. "I know we have more common ground than what divides us."
And Atwin said the same thing about Parliament, which she described as dysfunctional before the election. "It's time to put aside our differences. We've got big things that we need to deliver for Canadians right now," she said.
With Atwin's win, the Liberals captured six of New Brunswick's seats while the Conservatives took the other four.
In a post on her Facebook campaign page, Johnson thanked people who voted for her and said she was "truly humbled." She said the results show a riding "almost entirely torn in half" and like Atwin issued an appeal for unity.
"Both the left and the right have to listen more and talk less. Be more tolerant and less judgmental. Look for similarities, not differences," Johnson wrote.
Atwin's win for the Greens in 2019 was one of only three for the party, and it was their only seat east of British Columbia. This time, the Green party was represented in the riding by University of New Brunswick law professor Nicole O'Byrne. She finished a distant third, just 102 votes ahead of the NDP's Shawn Oldenburg.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 22, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
There's actually no such thing as vegetables. Here's why you should eat them anyway
The rumours are true: Vegetables aren't real — that is, in botany, anyway. While the term fruit is recognized botanically as anything that contains a seed or seeds, vegetable is actually a broad umbrella term.
BREAKING Israeli forces seize Rafah border crossing in Gaza, putting ceasefire talks on knife's edge
Israeli tanks seized control of Gaza’s vital Rafah border crossing on Tuesday as Israel brushed off urgent warnings from close allies and moved into the southern city even as ceasefire negotiations with Hamas remained on a knife’s edge.
The Met Gala was in full bloom with Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Mindy Kaling among the standout stars
The Met Gala and its fashionista A-listers on Monday included Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya and a parade of others in a swirl of flora and fauna looks on a green-tinged carpet lined by live foliage.
'It looked so legit': Ontario man books $7,700 luxury villa on Booking.com, but the listing was fake
An Ontario man says he was charged more than $7,700 to book a luxury villa on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.
Noelia Voigt resigns as Miss USA, citing her mental health
Noelia Voigt, who was crowned Miss USA in November 2023, has announced she is resigning from her role, saying the decision is in the best interest of her mental health.
Putin begins his fifth term as president, more in control of Russia than ever
Vladimir Putin began his fifth term Tuesday as Russian leader at a glittering Kremlin inauguration, setting out on another six years in office after destroying his political opponents, launching a devastating war in Ukraine and concentrating all power in his hands.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.