Around 10:15 p.m. on election night, Kitchener-Conestoga incumbent MPP Leeanna Pendergast arrived at Jacob’s Grill in St. Jacobs to a hero’s welcome.
She wore a large smile, but the numbers told the true tale – she had been defeated by PC candidate Michael Harris by nearly 3,500 votes.
“Together, we did what we could,” said Pendergast, earning a round of applause from about 50 supporters and party members.
“I don’t think anyone in this room thinks ‘I could have done just one thing more, we could have tried just an ounce harder’. We couldn’t. We did absolutely everything we could and gave it everything that we had.”
In her speech, Pendergast reflected briefly on her time as the provincial representative for the riding over the past four years, and was thankful for the opportunity to represent the riding at Queen’s Park.
“It has been my privilege and honour to do that.”
Pendergast pointed to new long-term care beds, child literacy and infrastructure investments made by the Liberals in schools, bridges and hospitals as some of her accomplishments during her term.
She congratulated Michael Harris on a well-fought battle and wished him all the best in representing the riding in the Legislature, and also congratulated the other two candidates in the riding, Mark Cairns of the NDP and Robert Rose of the Green Party.
Finally, she thanked her supporters, her campaign team, her husband Richard and their three sons, as well as her parents, Kathy and Frank Pendergast.
“At the end of the day when you get home, they’re the one’s waiting for you and they’re the one’s with you on the journey in life together,” she said of the importance of family.
Pendergast won the riding back in 2007 by pulling in 16,315 votes to Harris’ 14,450. This time, however, Harris led from the outset and cruised to victory, 18,005 votes to 14,469.
Despite the Liberal defeat in the riding, however, Premier Dalton McGuinty has won a third straight election and will continue to lead the province for the next four years. Pendergast is confident that the party will continue to do what is best for the people of Ontario.
“My colleagues in the Liberal government will continue to do the great work that they’ve done, with advances in education and healthcare and for our seniors.
“The Liberal government is going to continue to form the government so it’s very exciting.”
