Liberal candidate Kent MacDonald wins P.E.I.’s Cardigan riding by large margin

PEIRookie candidate Kent MacDonald will be the next MP in the eastern P.E.I. riding of Cardigan, the only riding on the Island that didn’t have an incumbent in the running.’I just want to thank the people of Cardigan for putting their trust in me tonight’Stephen Brun · CBC News · Posted: Apr 28, 2025 8:17 PM EDT | Last Updated: 39 minutes agoLiberal candidate Kent MacDonald got hugs from supporters after being projected to win the eastern P.E.I. riding of Cardigan on Monday night. (Wayne Thibodeau/CBC)Rookie candidate Kent MacDonald will be the next MP in the eastern P.E.I. riding of Cardigan, the only riding on the Island that didn’t have an incumbent in the running.With 93 of the riding’s 97 polls reporting as of 1:30 a.m. AT on Tuesday, the Liberal candidate held a lead of more than 4,200 votes over Conservative candidate James Aylward.The total at that time was 12,767 for MacDonald, 8,540 for Aylward, 440 for the NDP’s Lynne Thiele, 365 for Independent candidate Wayne Phelan, 283 for Green candidate Maria Rodriguez and 157 for Adam Harding of the People’s Party of Canada.MacDonald’s supporters erupted in cheers and rushed to hug him as they watched the news that CBC News was projecting he would win the riding.Speaking to CBC News later, the successful candidate said he was overwhelmed.”I just want to thank the people of Cardigan for putting their trust in me tonight.”Liberal candidate Kent MacDonald, centre, watched as vote numbers started to roll in Monday night for the eastern P.E.I. riding of Cardigan. (Wayne Thibodeau/CBC)MacDonald is a dairy farmer from the Souris area. He said he felt well positioned to stand up for Canada as the issue of supply management — which relies on the control of imports and enables the dairy, poultry and egg sectors to limit the supply of their products to what Canadians are expected to consume — once again comes under fire by U.S. President Donald Trump. When I travelled around the district and spoke to dairy farmers, they definitely wanted one of their own representing them.— Kent MacDonald”I feel really motivated on that issue because it’s my industry and I take it personal,” he said.”I know when I travelled around the district and spoke to dairy farmers, they definitely wanted one of their own representing them.”Asked about Mark Carney’s decision to exclude a P.E.I. MP from his hastily formed cabinet just before the election was called, MacDonald said he expected that would not always be the case, but said he didn’t have his sights set on such a role just yet.”I’m just wanting to represent the people of Cardigan tonight.”NDP candidate Lynne Thiele, Maria Rodriguez of the Green Party and Independent Wayne Phelan were left vying for third place, ahead of People’s Party of Canada candidate Adam Harding. P.E.I.’s easternmost riding, Cardigan is a predominantly rural area and there’s a lot of it. It’s the largest in area of the four ridings, and has the most eligible voters, according to Elections Canada. It was the only riding on the Island that didn’t have an incumbent running after Liberal Lawrence MacAulay, the longest-serving MP in the Island’s history, confirmed in March that he wouldn’t run again. ABOUT THE AUTHORStephen Brun works for CBC in Charlottetown, P.E.I. Through the years he has been a writer and editor for a number of newspapers and news sites across Canada, most recently in the Atlantic region. You can reach him at stephen.brun@cbc.ca.With files from Wayne Thibodeau