Jeff Dwyer PC MHA CONTRIBUTEDArticle contentAcross rural NL, the Progressive Conservatives held onto the seats it needed to form its majority government for the next four years.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentWhen the government dissolved on Sept. 15, the Tories held 14 seats, and needed to hold onto all of them in order to win the election.Article contentArticle contentOne of the seats returning to the fold is Placentia West-Bellevue, a Conservative district since 2019 when Jeff Dwyer first won the region.Article contentIn the 2025 election, Dwyer won another term and will now represent the district for a third time, having collected 47 percent of the vote.Article contentDwyer was contested this time around by Liberal candidate Brian Keating, besting him by less than 100 votes. For his work, Keating picked up 2,577 votes, while Dwyer finished with 2,641. The NDP candidate, Jasmine Paul, finished with 388 votes.Article contentHeading into the election, Dwyer was one of 14 Conservative MHAs seeking re-election. When the dust had settled, all 14 had reclaimed their seat and will spend the next four years as a part of a PC majority government under premier-elect Tony Wakeham.Article contentArticle contentArticle contentHelping form governmentArticle contentIf Tony Wakeham and the Conservatives wanted to form their majority government, they also needed to wrestle some districts away from the Liberals.Article contentOne of the ridings they flipped was the district of St. George’s-Humber, which had been a Liberal stronghold since it was first contested in 2015. Scott Reid has held it for the last decade.Article contentWith his retirement, it was up for grabs, and the Conservatives took full advantage of it as they won the district behind the newly-elected Hal Cormier.Article contentCormier picked up 50 per cent of the vote and a total of 2,648 votes to claim victory. Behind him was Liberal candidate Mark Lamswood, who trailed Cormier by 300 votes and finished with 2,366 votes. Meanwhile, the NDP’s Jim McKeown finished with 208 votes.Article content
Conservatives gain new ground, reclaim old seats in rural NL
