“I think the Conservative Party needs to reflect on this election and what was not a resonating message.”

Cathy Dobson/The Independent

Winning CPC incumbent MP Marilyn Gladu was met with cheers and hugs from a roomful of party faithful at her election watch party Monday night.

There was a lot of congratulatory handshaking as Gladu’s weary team celebrated her fourth victory after an exhausting 36-day campaign.

But there was also a sense that all did not go as planned.

The local MP for Sarnia-Lambton-Bkejwanong was returned to Ottawa once again as a member of the opposition. Local Conservatives were feeling good that Gladu received 53.3 per cent of the vote, significantly higher than the 46.2 per cent she garnered in 2021 and her best showing since being first elected in 2015.

Yet there were a lot of worried glances toward a large TV screen at the Royal Canadian Naval Association as national results trickled in and showed that the CPC would not form the next government.

Early into election night, it was apparent that the battle waged nationally by CPC leader Pierre Poilievre was scuttled by the Liberals and Donald Trump’s threats to Canada. Poilievre was someone that Gladu supported in the party’s leadership race, but on Monday he lost even his own seat to a Liberal.

Once again, Gladu will be faced with convincing a Liberal government to support a Conservative riding. And her hopes of becoming a cabinet minister are gone.

It’s a scenario she’s all too familiar with, said Gladu. “It will be what it will be.

“One thing I’ve proven is that even when there’s a Liberal government in place, I have those relationships to work across the aisle to get the money and support we need here in Sarnia-Lambton, so I’m determined to do that again,” she said.

Nobody wants to be in opposition for 12 years, Gladu conceded. But “…I’m a great negotiator and I will work with the government to make sure Sarnia-Lambton gets its share.”

In particular, she said she would strongly advocate to convert the former Lambton Generating Station near Port Lambton into a co-generation facility that will create local jobs.

She’ll also go after funding for the numerous roads and bridges that need upgrading across rural Lambton County, Gladu said.

The campaign highlighted local voters’ concerns about the cost of living, a lack of health care, and the threat of tariffs, she said. “So those are the things I’ll be advocating for going forward.”

Monday night’s results should trigger a CPC leadership review, said Gladu. “I think the Conservative Party needs to reflect on this election and what was not a resonating message.”

She was critical of Poilievre saying he should have travelled to Washington early in the campaign and attempt to negotiate with the US president.

“Trudeau was gone and the other one (Mark Carney) was in Europe and it was clear that there was a leadership vacuum,” Gladu said. “The right thing to do would have been to negotiate a deal.”

As the campaign progressed, “the ballot question became, what are you going to do with Trump?” she said. “Pierre chose not to get a meeting with (the US government). It was a missed opportunity.”

About 60 Conservatives gathered at the Navy Association in southeast Sarnia to watch local election results. Among them was Anne Denman, local CPC association president and Gladu’s campaign manager.

Denman marvelled at Gladu’s dedication on the campaign trail and her determination to introduce herself to the 20,000 new voters in east Lambton who live within the new riding boundaries.

She also praised the local NDP and Liberal candidates.

“Every election is very different,” said Denman. “This one, we had two worthy opponents with radically different backgrounds to Marilyn. (Liberal) George (Vandenberg) ran a very good campaign and (the NDP’s) Lo-Anne Chan is a very brilliant human who will go places in the future.

“But this vote reflects her inexperience.”

Vandenberg’s campaign moved the local Liberals from their third-place finish in 2021 to second place with 37.7 per cent of the vote. Chan placed third with only 5.3 per cent of the vote. All results remain unofficial as ballot counting continues in some parts of the country until late Tuesday. It would be 4 pm before national news networks projected a minority government for the Liberals.