Saint John East MLA Glen Savoie. (Staff photo)
Saint John East PC incumbent candidate Glen Savoie was re-elected Monday night, surpassing Liberal Phil Comeau this time, by more than 1800 votes.
“The situation with COVID has been something that has forced us all to be creative and thoughtful in different ways in how we run these elections,” said Savoie.
Recalling a much different campaign, Savoie said he got his message out through Facebook videos and live events, virtual door-to-door visits and COVID-safe socially distanced discussions from his truck where he could answer any potential voters’ questions.
After joking about the election sign clean-up ahead of him Tuesday, Savoie mentioned the riding’s schools are at the top of his to-do list, saying some schools haven’t been updated in his area since the 1950s.
“I have one school in particular that has zero ventilation; we have 175 students and it has no ventilation,” he said. “I want to work with the DECs (District Education Council), I want to work with the new Minister of Education, whoever he or she is, and try and see if we can get some attention there.”
Savoie also called it “an extreme honor” to do work on the behalf of his constituents. “Elections are about renewal and change and change and renewal,” he said. “As a province we’re going to be renewed through this process, we’re going to be changed through this process, but ultimately we’re where we need to be as a province.”
Initial vote counts from the riding also included Patrick Kemp of the Green Party, who received 434 votes Monday, with PANB candidate Gerald Irish at 394 and NDP candidate Josh Floyd receiving 248 after all polls reported.
