New MLA Jim Lemaigre of the Saskatchewan Party overturned an NDP decades-long winning streak in Tuesday’s byelection..The Constituency of Athabasca voted 51% for Lemaigre and 40% for NDP Georgina Jolibois..“I understand … history being made tonight. And I have just sent out a huge thank you to the Constituency of Athabasca,” said Lemaigre, as quoted in the Regina-Leader Post..Early polls showed Joilibois was favoured until later into the day when Lemaigre rushed ahead..The win marks the first time the Saskatchewan Party ever held the seat..The NDP held the seat since 1975, with one exception that occurred in 1995 when NDP’s Buckley Belanger switched to the Liberal Party for three years..Before election night,.Jolibois, citing her nearly 20 years of work in public office, said she’s “proven over and over again” she can advocate for the northern constituency..She served as mayor of La Loch in 2003 until she became the MP for Desenthé in 2015, and then a fifth term as mayor in 2020..Lemaigre promised to get a seat at the table with Premier Scott Moe and government ministers..However, Jolibois dismissed the pitch by saying Saskatchewan Party MLA’s are more of backbenchers than power brokers, said the.Regina-LeaderPost..Lemaigre said his first act will be to review the concerns that came up during the campaign..“I’ll see how I could bring attention to all the stuff that people shared with me along my campaign journey,” he said..Both candidates regularly brought up issues such as mental health, addictions services and the region’s rough road conditions as election issues..Ewa Sudyk is a reporter with the Western Standard.,.esudyk@westernstandardonline.com
