Chatham-Kent—Leamington

Chatham-Kent—Leamington stretches across more than 2,400 square kilometres of flat, fertile land in the southernmost reaches of Ontario, anchored by the municipality of Chatham-Kent and the town of Leamington on the northern shore of Lake Erie. The riding takes in the fishing port of Wheatley, Point Pelee National Park at the southernmost tip of mainland Canada, and Pelee Island in Lake Erie. The Thames River winds through the northern portion, draining into Lake St. Clair beyond the riding's western boundary.

Candidates

Dave Epp (Conservative) — A third-generation Leamington farmer who grew processing vegetables and cash crops on the family operation, Epp held a Bachelor of Theology and had served in agricultural leadership roles including positions with Agricorp, the Ontario Process Vegetable Growers, and the Ontario Tomato Research Institute. He was also the Ontario and Quebec regional representative for the Canadian Foodgrains Bank and served on the Leamington Flyers Hockey Club Board of Directors. He took over the Conservative nomination following the retirement of four-term incumbent Dave Van Kesteren.

Katie Omstead (Liberal) — Raised in Chatham-Kent with family roots in fishing, farming, and small business, Omstead held degrees in political science and international development and a bachelor of education. She worked as an elementary school teacher, founded ONE, an organization addressing human trafficking, and co-founded Leamington Stands Strong to support residents affected by the Heinz plant closure in 2014. She had also run as the Liberal candidate in the riding in 2015.

Tony Walsh (NDP) — An investment consultant with CIBC and a father of three, Walsh was a returning candidate who had also run for the NDP in the riding in 2015. He campaigned on access to healthcare, good-paying jobs, affordable homes, and retirement security.

Mark Vercouteren (Green Party) — Vercouteren grew up in Chatham-Kent, spending his teenage years at his family's fruit stand and greenhouse business. A veteran Green candidate who had run in three provincial and one previous federal election, he focused on flooding, local food sustainability, and energy-saving initiatives.

John Balagtas (People's Party) — Balagtas carried the People's Party banner in the riding.

Paul Coulbeck (Radical Marijuana) also appeared on the ballot.

About the Riding

Agriculture is the economic backbone of Chatham-Kent—Leamington. The region's rich soils and temperate Lake Erie microclimate support a robust farming sector producing corn, soybeans, tomatoes, and sugar beets across thousands of farms. Leamington and neighbouring Kingsville are known as the "Greenhouse Capital of Canada," with hundreds of acres of controlled-environment agriculture producing tomatoes, peppers, and cannabis year-round. The Highbury Canco food processing plant, which took over the former Heinz facility after that company's departure in 2014, remained one of the riding's largest employers.

Agricultural trade policy, temporary foreign worker programs supplying greenhouse and farm labour, and crop insurance ranked among the most pressing local issues. Environmental concerns were also prominent — flooding along the Thames River and erosion along the Lake Erie shoreline had caused property damage and raised questions about climate adaptation. Point Pelee National Park and the surrounding marshlands, situated along two major migratory flyways, draw birdwatchers from around the world and support an ecotourism sector alongside agriculture and food processing. The riding also includes the Eelünaapéewi Lahkéewiit (Delaware Nation at Moraviantown), and Wheatley's harbour supports the largest freshwater commercial fishing fleet in the world.