Late into the evening of April 28, as election results slowly began appearing on the projector at Déjà Vu Restaurant and Bar in Hawkesbury, supporters of Prescott-Russell-Cumberland Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) candidate Julie Séguin watched quietly. Soon after 11 p.m., Radio-Canada projected that Séguin lost to Liberal Party of Canada (LPC) candidate Giovanna Mingarelli, who held more than 50 per cent of the vote at the time of writing.
Earlier in the night, Séguin said that although her team tried to get to as many doors in the riding as possible during the short campaign, they were prepared, adding: “We ran a great campaign. No matter the results, I’m proud of what we accomplished in such a short run.”
“I believe we got our message out there to constituents about what a Conservative government could do for them,” Séguin explained.
Supporters, some wearing “Canada First” hats and other memorabilia, gathered as the evening progressed, with most arriving as polls closed across the country.
Séguin later received numerous remarks of encouragement, handshakes, and hugs from supporters after it was announced that the riding stayed in Liberal hands.
While the CPC candidate did not deliver a formal concession speech, Séguin emphasized that “We did what we could. We were out there every single day. We also ran a fair campaign with a great, all-female and Francophone team behind me.”
Séguin concluded, “I was born in Hawkesbury, I was raised here; I’m a local girl. I’ve always been here for my community for the past 15 years and that won’t change—I’ll be back in four years, maybe even less.”
“Obviously, this isn’t the result we wanted, but I’m a very present politician. I’ll still be here, still helping. I’ll prove to people that I’m a hard worker and that I deserve their trust.”
Photos by Philip Oddi:
