Progressive Conservative candidate Anthony Leardi will return to Queen's Park as the Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) for Essex.
Leardi, a lawyer and former Deputy Mayor of Amherstburg, says his top priority will be protecting Ontario workers.
"We’re going to be strong. We’re going to show strength," he said. "I believe that Premier Doug Ford has already done that, and he will continue to do that. We will show strength to the Americans, and we will go back to the negotiating table. We don’t want a tariff war. They don’t want a tariff war. We want to negotiate. We are best friends. We are best allies."
He says he prides himself on being available to the people in his riding.
"The taxpayers in this riding know they can come out to my coffee houses," Leardi said. "They know they can call me, they know they can email me, and they’ll always get a response. I would hope that made some of the difference."
Looking ahead, Leardi says the next four years will focus on expanding the manufacturing sector and training more skilled workers.
"The people of Essex can look forward to a strong majority government that has a very good focus on expanding the manufacturing sector," he said. "We’re going to continue to train more skilled workers who are going to build the projects, the roads, the highways, and the homes for the people of Ontario."
Leardi secured 55.5 per cent of the vote, with a total of 30,785 votes, well ahead of NDP candidate Rachael Mills, who finished second with 12,047 votes (21.7 per cent).
In 2022, Leardi flipped Essex from orange to blue, securing 51.1 per cent of the vote in that election.
The results will still need to be verified and ratified.
-With files from CTV Windsor's Sanjay Maru