Lambton—Kent—Middlesex

Lambton—Kent—Middlesex is a sprawling agricultural riding in southwestern Ontario, covering approximately 5,277 square kilometres across portions of three counties. It includes all of Middlesex County except the City of London and Thames Centre Township, the northern part of the Municipality of Chatham-Kent above the Thames River (excluding the former City of Chatham), and the municipalities of Lambton Shores, Brooke-Alvinston, Dawn-Euphemia, and Warwick in Lambton County, as well as Kettle and Stony Point First Nation and Walpole Island First Nation (Bkejwanong). Communities include Strathroy, Glencoe, Grand Bend, Wallaceburg, Bothwell, Ridgetown, and Dresden. The riding had a population of approximately 113,000 in the 2021 census.

Candidates

Lianne Rood (Conservative) * A third-generation farmer from Grand Bend, Rood grew up on a 1,000-acre vegetable farm and remains involved in the family potato business. She holds an Honours Bachelor's degree in Criminology and Sociology. Before entering politics, she spent six years as a political staffer, working for MP Bev Shipley and as an assistant to David Anderson in his roles as Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministers of Natural Resources and Agriculture. First elected in 2019, she served as Shadow Minister for Rural Economic Development and later for Agriculture and Agri-Food.

Sudit Ranade (Liberal) A physician who served as Lambton County's Medical Officer of Health since 2012, Ranade took a leave of absence from his public-health role to run in the 2021 election. The 41-year-old doctor was motivated by lessons learned about the intersection of government policy and public health during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jason Henry (NDP) Serving his second term as elected Ogiimaa (Chief) of the Chippewas of Kettle and Stony Point First Nation, Henry is an Anishnabeg leader who grew up in his community. He is a family man raising three children, a nephew, and five foster children, and entered federal politics to bring Indigenous voices and rural perspectives to the national stage.

Kevin Mitchell (PPC) A Wallaceburg small business owner who runs DIY Pallets Ltd., Mitchell is a former teacher who previously sought the Conservative federal nomination in the riding in 2019 before joining the People's Party.

About the Riding

Agriculture defines Lambton—Kent—Middlesex. The riding sits on some of Ontario's most productive farmland, with corn, soybeans, tobacco, wheat, and specialty crops such as ginseng dominating the landscape. The top occupational fields include agriculture, sales and service, trades, and management, and the average individual income was approximately $37,332 as of the 2016 census. Chatham-Kent's northern communities contribute food processing and grain handling to the agricultural supply chain, while Middlesex County's farms supply the London and southwestern Ontario markets.

Beyond agriculture, Grand Bend on the Lake Huron shoreline is a significant tourism destination, drawing summer visitors to its beaches and the Pinery Provincial Park. Wallaceburg, at the confluence of the Sydenham and Chenal Ecarte rivers, has a manufacturing and plastics-industry heritage. Strathroy-Caradoc, with a population of approximately 23,871 in the 2021 census, is the riding's largest community and has a diversified economy spanning automotive manufacturing, agriculture, and food processing.

In 2021, the pandemic's impact on rural healthcare and the deficit were key issues. Local agriculture federations pressed candidates on farmland preservation, arguing that less than five per cent of Ontario's land remains arable. Broadband connectivity in rural areas, access to family physicians, and support for small-town businesses recovering from lockdown restrictions also featured prominently in the campaign.

The riding includes two First Nations—Kettle and Stony Point and Walpole Island—whose communities have distinct concerns around land claims, environmental protection of the St. Clair River delta, and economic development. Lambton—Kent—Middlesex has voted Conservative in every federal election since the riding's creation, reflecting its rural, agricultural, and small-business-oriented character.