Campaign Politics
Vote 2015 – Essex
CPAC’s Roger Smith visits the riding of Essex, Ontario, to examine key election issues and to meet candidates vying to become MP for the area in the October 19, 2015, federal election. Essex is a rural riding that surrounds Windsor in the south-western tip of Ontario. It covers most of Essex County, including the agricultural towns of Kingsville and Amherstburg, and the Windsor suburb community of LaSalle. Conservative Jeff Watson is the first-ever autoworker elected to Parliament. He has held the riding since 2004, winning with just over 48% of the vote in 2011. He will face a tough challenge from the NDP’s Tracey Ramsey, who is also an autoworker, a union leader and a registered practical nurse. The Liberal candidate is Audrey Festeryga, who grew up on an Ontario farm in Wheatley and now works as a lawyer in Kingsville. Jennifer Alderson is running for the Green Party. She co-manages a farmers’ market and currently works as a Canada Post employee.
