Brantford remains Conservative blue: Brock earns a second term in Ottawa

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Conservative candidate Larry Brock is heading back to Ottawa for another term.

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First elected in 2021 to represent the riding of Brantford-Brant, Brock was Monday elected to represent the new riding of Brantford-Brant South-Six Nations. As of Tuesday Brock had received 34,501 votes or just under 52.4 per cent of the ballots counted to win the riding for the Conservative Party of Canada.

Liberal candidate Joy O’Donnell, had received 27,032 votes or 41.1.9 per cent of the ballots counted as of Tuesday morning.

Of particular interest to many of those who follow local politics, Anne Gajerski-Cauley of the NDP received just 2,410 votes or 3.7 percent of the ballots cast. In past elections, the NDP garnered around 20 percent of the local vote.

Karleigh Csordas of the Green Party received 1,100 votes or 1.7 per cent of the ballots cast while Nicholas Xenos, of the People’s Party of Canada received 395 votes or less than one per cent of ballots cast.  Independent candidate Mike Clancy received 148 votes (0.2 per cent), Leslie Bory, also an independent garnered 120 (0.2 per cent) while Clo Marie, another independent received 80 (0.1 per cent).

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Figures provided by Elections Canada say 65,796 of 102,397 registered electors cast ballots in the federal election for a voter turnout of 64,26 per cent.

Brock, in his victory speech, thanked the volunteers and supporters who have worked tirelessly for him in 2021 between the two elections and over the past four weeks.

“I think the difference in this campaign is obvious,” Brock told reporters after his speech. “I have been campaigning since my last election.”

Brock said voters would often lament that the only time they saw politicians was during an election campaign when the politicians were looking for votes.

“That really resonated with me and I told them that if they put their trust in me, they would see me in between campaigns,” Brock said.

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With the help of volunteers Brock would visit people throughout the community to introduce himself and make sure they knew he was their MP and the services provided by him and his office.

The hard work in between campaigns provided another major benefit for Brock and his team. It gave him the opportunity to meet many new Canadians especially members of the local Sikh and Hindu communities.

As the federal election rumours started to circulate, Brock and his supporters stepped up their game. When the election writ was dropped, Brock and local Conservatives were ready to hit the ground running.

Nationally, the Conservative Party was well ahead of the Liberals in the fall of 2024 and had every reason to believe they could form a majority government in the next federal election.

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However, the election of Donald Trump as U.S. president had a huge impact on Canadian politics, Brock said.

“His (Trump’s) involvement changed the narrative of the provincial campaign and impacted federally as well,” Brock said. “The Liberals were dead in the water in December and January, they were on life support with a leader that was disliked by the majority of Canadians.”

Instead of thinking about what life has been like for the last 10 years, Canadians had something else to think and worry about, Brock said.

The Liberals were able to use Trump to change the narrative of the campaign to their advantage, Brock said.

Speaking to supporters, Brock thanked his wife Angela and their twin daughters – Jennie and Emma — for their support. He also thanked his supporters for all of their hard work including Phil Gillies, a former MPP who ran his campaign.

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Brock vowed to hold the Liberal government to account and said he will always be the servant of the people he represents and that includes everyone in the community.

He has a record of community involvement which includes serving as chair of the board for Crossing All Bridges Learning Centre and president of St. Leonard’s Community Services, now known as SOAR Community Services.

Back in 2015, Brock was chair of the Brant United Way campaign with raised more than $1.6 million for local charities.

O’Donnell is a certified financial planner who started her own company – Grand Financial Planning, in 2005. She is the first vice-president of the Chamber of Commerce Brantford-Brant, a director of the Grand Erie Public Health Board and a member of the Rotary Club of Brantford. O’Donnell and her husband Joe have two sons – Quinn and Connor.

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A business owner and first-time candidate who was encouraged to run by former Brant MP Jane Stewart, O’Donnell had a late start in the snap election.

But backed by local Liberal leaders including former Brantford-Brant MPP Dave Levac and former Brantford-Brant MP Lloyd St. Amand, O’Donnell was able to put together a strong campaign team to challenge Brock, an incumbent.

The campaign also received a boost from Liberal Leader and Prime Minister Mark Carney who visited Brantford. It was the most energetic and well-attended gathering of local liberals at the federal level since before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Speaking to supporters after conceding defeat on election night, O’Donnell said the campaign was the start of the renewal of the Liberal party in Brantford.

Vball@postmedia.c

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