Green Party co-leader Elizabeth May wins her seat in federal election

Green party co-leader Elizabeth May has been re-elected in her riding of Saanich-Gulf Islands. 

In a speech addressing supporters on Monday evening, May said her first order of business is standing up to US President Donald Trump.

“Job one is Team Canada. Pushing back on Trump, protecting our economy and making sure we have economic sovereignty over our own resources to protect Canadian jobs,” she said.

“And also stepping up more around the world when Trump kills foreign aid, international development assistance … Canada has to step into that space and do more.”

May said it has been “a hard election because so much of the mainstream media has promoted the idea” that she would lose her seat, which she first won in 2011. 

As May celebrated her victory, she also mourned her co-leader Jonathan Pedneault’s loss in his Montreal riding of Outremont, which she said was partly fueled by the debate commission rescinding the Green Party’s invitation to participate in the English language federal leaders debate at the last minute.

“It cost us multiple seats. It cost us a big share of a popular vote. It was extremely anti-democratic,” she said.

May won her riding with 43.1 per cent of the vote, which is up from the 38 per cent she took home during the 2021 federal election.

She was trailed by Liberal candidate David Beckham, who took 27.5 per cent of the vote. Conservative candidate Cathie Ounsted came in closely behind Beckham at 26.3 per cent. According to preliminary data released by Elections Canada, the riding recorded the highest advance voter turnout in the province and the second highest in the whole country.

Meanwhile, the only other incumbent Green MP – Mike Morrice of Kitchener Centre – lost his seat to Conservative candidate Kelly DeRidder. DeRidder won at 34.2 per cent  of the vote, while Morrice was close behind at 33.6 per cent.

Speaking to reporters after her win, May stressed that Parliament “needs more Green voices” and said democracy suffers without them, which is why they will continue to fight for their place and “be effective opposition.”

As far as what working with a Liberal government under Carney will be like on the climate file, May said she hopes the new parliament “can have a substantive, evidence-based discussion.”

“I think survival is a rather important priority, which means we have to face the facts of the climate crisis and not pretend that three-word slogans that rhyme constitute policy or alternatives.”