NDP's Laura-Mae Lindo 'humbled' to be re-elected in Kitchener Centre

Laura-Mae Lindo, the NDP incumbent, has been re-elected in the riding of Kitchener Centre.

With all polls reporting, Lindo won 41 per cent of the votes, compared to runner-up Jim Schmidt of the Progressive Conservatives, who took 27 per cent. 

"I'm feeling overwhelmed because Kitchener Centre chose hope," Lindo told CBC at the NDP supporters' celebrations at the downtown Crowne Plaza hotel. 

Lindo was first elected in 2018, when she defeated the Liberals' Daiene Vernile, a former TV broadcaster.

"There's excitement because I'm able to take what I've learned over the last four years and be more effective in this role for another four years and I'm humbled that [voters] would choose me to be the person to represent them ."

The race for third and fourth place was very close, between Liberal Kelly Steiss and the Green Party's Wayne Mak: Steiss took 15 per cent and Mak 13 per cent. 

Peter Beimers of the New Blue Party finished with just over five percent of the ballots.

Elections Ontario reported nearly 46 per cent of eligible voters cast a ballot in the election, down from 58 per cent in 2018.

Bringing voter's voice to Queen's Park

Lindo said she will continue to work to bring her constituents' voice and issues to Queens Park over the next four years. She said topics around housing and poverty have climbed to the top for many in her riding.

"We've got 16.5 per cent of the people of Kitchener Centre living below the poverty line ... They fought for a hopeful vision, they fought for somebody and ask for somebody to be at the helm that would centre them," she said.

Lindo adds she has found creative ways to work with the Progressive Conservatives in the last four years and hopes to continue to bring attention to issues that "sometimes folks don't want to listen to."

"I think there is an opportunity here and that's what Kitchener Centre is asking for and my commitment is to do good by that request," she said.

Lindo said a top item on her agenda would be to table a basic income bill she drafted before the provincial election was called. 

"That's one of my biggest priorities ... to try and make sure that happens in this term," she said.

Riding history

The riding has existed since 1999 and was created from the ridings of Kitchener and Kitchener-Wilmot.

The first Member of Provincial Parliament to serve the riding was Progressive Conservative Wayne Wettlaufer, who held the seat in Kitchener from 1995 to 1999, then Kitchener Centre from 1999 to 2003.

In 2003, Wettlaufer lost his bid for re-election to Liberal John Milloy. Milloy served as the riding's MPP, and served in several cabinet positions, until 2014, when he did not seek re-election. In 2014, TV broadcaster Daiene Vernile ran for the Liberals and won.

Lindo defeated Vernile in 2018.

Read more of CBC K-W's coverage of Kitchener Centre: