The electoral district of Essex (formerly Essex-Windsor), located in southwestern Ontario, borders onto Lake Erie. The constituency includes the towns of Amherstburg, Essex, Kingsville, LaSalle and parts of the Town of Lakeshore.

Chris Lewis, the current MP, is seeking re-election for the Conservatives. He has represented the riding since 2019, when he was elected with 41.4% of the vote. He beat out the then Incumbent, Tracey Ramsey, who took 34.6% of the vote.

Ramsey previously represented the constituency for the NDP between the years 2015 to 2019. She had defeated Jeff Watson, who represented the riding for the Conservatives between 2004-2015.

Liberal candidate Audrey Festeryga aims to break that NDP-Conservative cycle. Festeryga told the Corriere Canadese that “it is time for new representation in Ottawa that will reflect the desire of Essex residents for continued Real Progress”. She has tried before. In fact, this is the second time (since 2019) that all three candidates for the major parties will face each other in a general election.

According to the latest projections by 338Canada.com (August 22), which uses algorithms that take into account results of all major polls, the NDP are ahead of the Conservatives by only 1.5%.

Beth Charron-Rowberry is the candidate selected for the People’s Party of Canada. No candidate has been named for the Greens.

The area serves a vibrant population of 125,440 constituents, and growing. The district has a strong foundation in the agriculture and manufacturing sectors with convenient access to major North American markets. Over the years it has been an attractive environment for industrial, commercial and tourism development attracting people from all over the world.

The region was popular among immigrant groups, especially from Europe. According to Statistics Canada, in 2016 (most current data available), those who identify of German descent make up 14% of the population. Italians, another significant cultural group, represent 11% of the constituents in the district. Essex has one of the highest concentrations of Italians in southwestern Ontario.

The candidates for the other two major parties did not reply to our request for comment prior to our deadline.

Photo credit: The Federal electoral district of Essex, Elections Canada