Jackson ‘humbled’ by decisive win
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Grant Jackson won the riding of Brandon-Souris in Monday night’s federal election, securing a seat for the Conservatives and becoming the youngest-serving MP for the riding since its creation in 1953.
Jackson, 28, had received 62.2 per cent of the vote last night in preliminary counts posted online by Elections Canada, with 175 of 194 polls reporting, which grew the Conservatives’ lead in the riding compared to the 2021 election.
Celebrating from Joe Beeverz Canadian Pub in Brandon, Jackson welcomed the news with his friends and family.
Brandon-Souris Conservative Party of Canada candidate Grant Jackson answers questions from journalists at his campaign party at Joe Beeverz Canadian Pub in Brandon on Monday evening. Jackson won his election race to become the next member of Parliament for Brandon-Souris. (Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun)
“I’m just so humbled that the people of Brandon-Souris have put their faith in me,” said Jackson. “I’m going to celebrate with my friends and supporters and then I’m going to go to sleep, honestly.”
When asked about what type of change the riding could expect as he takes over from longtime MP Larry Maguire, Jackson said there was a lot of overlap between the two politicians.
“I don’t think constituents will feel that there’s a huge change in representation,” he said, adding that he had been mentored by Maguire.
On the topic of priorities for the riding, Jackson said the Brandon Municipal Airport is one focus moving forward. He said he supports upgrades so that bigger planes can land safely and the airport can connect more flights.
Jackson’s victory comes over Liberal candidate Ghazanfar Ali Tarar, who received 23.5 per cent of the vote, and New Democrat candidate Quentin Robinson, who received 14.4 per cent, based on preliminary poll results at press time.
Tarar could not be reached for comment last night.
Robinson watched the votes come in from his headquarters at the Brandon and District Labour Council offices alongside Glen Simard, NDP MLA for Brandon East, and said the results were upsetting.
Brandon-Souris Conservative Party of Canada candidate Grant Jackson greets supporters at his campaign party in Brandon on Monday evening. (Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun)
“It’s not the outcome that we were hoping for,” Robinson told the Sun. “But there you go. One has to just accept what reality is, see what voters have decided and respect that.”
He said the national outcome for the NDP was also unfortunate — the party was reporting around 5.8 per cent of the total at press time. Robinson said it’s too soon to analyze the reasons why his party suffered such a defeat, both locally and federally, but he told the Sun he had no regrets.
“You never do things just because they’re easy or because there’s assured victory,” Robinson said. “In my perspective, you do things that you believe in, and you do them as well as you can, and if you’ve given your best shot, then there’s nothing to regret.”
In the 2021 election, Maguire received 59.6 per cent of the vote for the Conservatives. The New Democrats came in second with 20.5 per cent of the vote, the Liberals received 12.1 per cent and the People’s Party of Canada received 7.8 per cent.
Maguire bowed out of the race this year due to a medical condition. Jackson stepped in to replace him on short notice, he told the Sun.
Both Robinson and Jackson told the Sun their campaigns focused on doorknocking. Tarar spoke to the Sun after being acclaimed as the Liberal candidate, but for the rest of the campaign did not respond to multiple requests for interviews.
A major challenge for the campaign was the breadth of the Brandon-Souris riding, Robinson and Jackson told the Sun. The candidates needed to cover a large region that stretches to communities such as Boissevain, Virden and Elkhorn.
Brandon-Souris federal NDP candidate Quentin Robinson watches poll results with Glen Simard, Brandon East NDP MLA and Manitoba’s minister of municipal and northern relations, on Monday night at the Brandon and District Labour Council office on Rosser Avenue. (Matt Goerzen/The Brandon Sun)
Jackson said he tried to spend his time in a split 50-50 between Brandon and rural areas. Robinson, coming off a near-victory in Brandon West in the 2023 provincial election, said he’d hinge on those relationships still being intact, nurture them, but focus his efforts to build relationships elsewhere.
Jackson was elected as the MLA for Spruce Woods in 2023 and told the Sun he took a risk by resigning from that position in order to run in the federal election in Brandon-Souris. When he was asked by the party to enter the race to replace Maguire, his decision had to be made on short notice after consulting with his family and colleagues.
Jackson was born and raised in Souris. He graduated from BU with a bachelor of arts degree and honours. He has been involved with federal and provincial politics for more than 10 years, working for Maguire and former provincial Tory leader Heather Stefanson.
» cmcdowell@brandonsun.com, with files from Michele McDougall