Haldimand—Norfolk

Haldimand—Norfolk entered the 2025 election with one of the most distinctive political dynamics in Ontario. Incumbent MPP Bobbi Ann Brady, who had won the seat in 2022 as an independent after the PC party bypassed its local riding association to appoint a candidate, was seeking re-election on the strength of that grassroots revolt. The riding — encompassing the agricultural communities of Haldimand County and Norfolk County, including Simcoe, Cayuga, Caledonia, Dunnville, Port Dover, and Delhi — remained deeply rural and conservative in character. The Progressive Conservatives once again chose to appoint their candidate without holding a local nomination vote, selecting Norfolk County Mayor Amy Martin, a decision that reignited the same frustrations that had propelled Brady to victory three years earlier.

Candidates

Bobbi Ann Brady (Independent) — The incumbent MPP and former executive assistant to long-serving PC MPP Toby Barrett, Brady had won in 2022 with Barrett's endorsement after the party centrally appointed its candidate. During her term, she established herself as an independent voice at Queen's Park, free from party-line constraints. She framed her re-election campaign around local representation and democratic accountability.

Amy Martin (Progressive Conservative) — The 36-year-old Mayor of Norfolk County, Martin was on administrative leave from her municipal role to run in the provincial election. She highlighted her experience collaborating with the Ford government on local priorities and argued that the riding needed a representative within the governing party to ensure its interests were advanced at Queen's Park.

Vandan Patel (Liberal) — With a background in agricultural science and a father who was a veterinarian, Patel had been active in public service, including serving on the Liberal Party of Canada's board of directors and as secretary of a Royal Canadian Legion branch. He received the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Award for community outreach.

Erica Englert (NDP) — One of the Ontario NDP's youngest candidates at 19, Englert was a Dunnville native studying criminology at the University of Ottawa. She had volunteered with Pride Haldimand-Norfolk and was vice-president of activism for the uOttawa NDP campus club.

Minor candidates included Anna Massinen (Green Party) and Garry Tanchak (New Blue Party).

Local Issues

The PC party's candidate selection process was again a central issue in the riding. For the second consecutive election, the party appointed its candidate without a local nomination vote, a decision that former PC MPP Toby Barrett publicly criticized. At least one riding association executive resigned over the process, and leaked communications pointed to internal dissatisfaction. Brady campaigned on the argument that local voters deserved to choose their own representative without party-imposed candidates.

The agricultural economy and the threat of U.S. tariffs were top-of-mind concerns. Haldimand and Norfolk counties sit at the heart of Ontario's agricultural belt, and farming operations faced uncertainty about potential disruptions to cross-border trade. The local steel industry — centred on the Stelco mill at Nanticoke — was similarly vulnerable to trade volatility. Candidates debated how to protect these industries from external economic shocks.

Rural service gaps in health care, broadband connectivity, education, and affordable housing continued to define local frustrations. Residents in smaller communities reported difficulty accessing family doctors, and the rising cost of housing affected even this traditionally affordable region. The NDP's youngest candidate, Englert, drew attention to what she described as inequalities between rural areas and larger urban centres when it came to provincial investment in public services.