Haldimand--Norfolk

Haldimand--Norfolk is a sprawling rural riding along the northern shore of Lake Erie that has been a Conservative stronghold for most of the past two decades. Incumbent Leslyn Lewis won the seat decisively in 2021 and entered the 2025 campaign as the clear favourite, running on a platform centred on affordability, support for farmers, and economic prosperity for the region.

Candidates

Leslyn Lewis (Conservative)* -- Born in Jamaica and raised in Canada, Lewis holds a master's in environmental studies from York University's Schulich School of Business and both a Juris Doctor and a PhD in international law from Osgoode Hall Law School. Before entering politics she practiced corporate and international law on Bay Street and later founded her own firm focused on sustainable business solutions including solar energy projects. She ran for the Conservative Party leadership in both 2020 and 2022, finishing third each time, becoming the first visible-minority woman to seek the federal Conservative leadership. She has represented Haldimand--Norfolk since winning a 2021 by-election.

Colin Walsh (Liberal) -- A Simcoe-based French immersion teacher, Walsh was born in Kapuskasing and is fluent in French. After a career in business, he returned to school to become an educator. His campaign focused on affordability, affordable housing, and supports for seniors in the riding.

Shannon Horner-Shepherd (NDP) -- A 27-year steelworker at the Stelco mill in Nanticoke, Horner-Shepherd is a single mother of four adult children, one of whom has complex special needs. A lifelong riding resident, she ran on a platform of universal health care including pharmacare.

Nathan Hawkins (Green Party) -- A general labourer and filmmaker from Kitchener, Hawkins ran a zero-budget grassroots campaign with no signs or paid media. He focused on environmental stewardship, clean water, eco-friendly farming, and opposing the use of Minister's Zoning Orders to override local land-use decisions.

Henry Geissler (People's Party - PPC) -- The People's Party candidate in Haldimand--Norfolk.

Lily Eggink (Christian Heritage Party) -- The Christian Heritage Party candidate in Haldimand--Norfolk.

About the Riding

Haldimand--Norfolk encompasses the counties of Haldimand and Norfolk in southern Ontario, stretching from Caledonia and Dunnville in the east through Simcoe and Delhi to the west. The riding's economy is heavily dependent on agriculture and manufacturing. Norfolk County's sandy lakeside soils made it one of Ontario's premier tobacco-growing regions beginning in the 1920s, though most farms have since transitioned to other crops including ginseng, fruits, and vegetables.

The riding also includes significant industrial employment, with the Stelco steel plant in Nanticoke remaining a major employer. Proximity to the Six Nations of the Grand River reserve adds a layer of complexity to local politics; longstanding land disputes near Caledonia have periodically surfaced as campaign issues. A major regional infrastructure project -- a proposed $450-million plan to consolidate water treatment and pipe water from a plant in Nanticoke to Norfolk and Haldimand communities -- was a topic of local discussion heading into the election.

Affordability emerged as the dominant concern among voters during the campaign, with Lewis emphasizing her track record of advocacy for farmers, workers, and families in a riding where many residents feel the pressures of rising costs acutely.