CORNWALL – With upbeat music and a crowd of over 90 supporters and family, Liberal candidate Sarah Good celebrated her campaign results, despite losing to incumbent Conservative candidate Eric Duncan by just over 11,000 votes.
Good, who currently serves on Cornwall city council, increased her party’s overall vote in the expanded SDG riding to 26,054 votes, earning 39.6 per cent of the popular vote. That is the highest Liberal vote since former Liberal MP Bob Kilger’s re-election in 1997.
In her 15 minute speech to followers, she spent most of the time thanking her volunteers, family, and supporters – both in English and in French.
“This started less than two months ago. There wasn’t a lot of building blocks in place when this first came about,” she spoke of the small riding association organization which generally was active only at election time. “We made it work. One at a time. With people who came to our doorstep saying ‘I’m willing to help, what can I do?’”
She thanked the grassroots groups of supporters from across the riding, including from South Dundas.
“We had so many people come down from Morrisburg,” she said.
Good said that it was important in a campaign to be completely involved in the process.
“I wasn’t going to do it half-assed – you can start this kind of process without giving your whole heart and soul,” she continued. “I have really poured myself into this and I’m so proud of what we have been able to achieve in such a short period of time.”
Speaking of the other four candidates in the riding, Good called the election campaign a gruelling process.
“It is emotionally exhausting. It is physically exhausting. But it is also worthwhile process – win or lose. It is so important to become and be involved in our political process.”
Speaking specifically of Eric Duncan’s win, she congratulated him acknowledging his efforts in the campaign.
“I know he fought hard in this battle. While it is not the result that the folks in this room were hoping for – we have to respect the results and we have an MP who I believe will continue to show up for us. And I think we’ll hold him to account for that.”
Good said that she was glad that leader Mark Carney would continue to lead the party in a minority government with 168 seats – four shy of a majority.
She said she was looking forward to the future of the local federal Liberal riding association too.
“This is a really good opportunity to build for the future, to build for the next time. This is just the beginning. This was a practice run guys. I feel pretty good about this as a first go.”
Asked by journalists after her speech, Good said she felt her team ran a strong campaign.
“I think we ran a really strong campaign – We were running an uphill battle – I knew that right from the beginning. But with that said, there was a lot of energy and enthusiasm. People showed up and I think we did really well. It was a strong showing, especially with a first-time candidate. I am just getting my feet wet here.”
She confirmed that she is going to run in the next federal election for the Liberals.
“It is such an investment of time and energy and resources, to do it one time, it almost seems like you’ve squandered it,” she explained. “But now what I feel we have done is built up something that is really strong and the next time around, we’re going to be able to just put the key in, turn the engine and get going.”
Good’s campaign drew in a number of former NDP supporters, along with former Progressive Conservative supporters, and people who were not involved in politics in general. That is something she hopes to keep going after Monday night’s results.
“There’s a personality aspect to it,” said Good. “I think that a lot of people who joined this – was part of this with Mark Carney – and part of this because I’ve built these relationships over the course of my life professionally and personally. People have a lot of confidence in what I was able to deliver. I think that if I am able to continue that and maintain these relationships with people – who have not been historically Liberal – that there is a very good chance that they will continue on and continue supporting this.”
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