The blue wave largely bypassed the Niagara region once again, despite Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives winning a resounding majority of 82 seats (as of press time) at Queen’s Park.
When the results of the 2025 provincial election were in, Wayne Gates, Jeff Burch and Jennie Stevens of the NDP had held on to the Niagara Falls, Niagara Centre and St. Catharines ridings, meaning the region will stay three-fourths orange for another term.
A misty-eyed Gates arrived at his official gathering at 9:50 p.m. to raucous applause. Many in attendance were sporting fake moustaches in honour of the former auto worker winning his fifth straight election for the riding.
“I want to say to everybody with those moustaches on, thank you very much,” Gates said, before going on to express his appreciation for the numerous volunteers who erected 2,500 signs across Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara Falls and Fort Erie through challenging weather conditions.
“It’s the residents of this riding that have put their trust in Wayne Gates for the last 11 years,” Gates added. “I believe I am now the longest-serving MPP in the history of Niagara Falls.”
Gates captured 29,549 votes for a 55 per cent share in Niagara Falls, far ahead of Ruth-Ann Nieuesteeg’s 18,569 for the PC party, who finished second with 34.5 per cent. Liberal Shafoli Kapur captured 3,398 for 6.3 per cent to finish third.
While the atmosphere at the Gates headquarters at local watering hole Chip and Charlie’s was loud and jovial, things were much quieter and subdued at Nieuwesteeg’s gathering across town at the Delphi Banquet Hall.
The mood there turned sombre just 10 minutes after the polls closed, as the crowd gathered around a television saw that CTV had already declared Gates as the winner at 9:10 p.m.
“It’s been a tough night here,” Nieuwesteeg’s campaign manager Lou Vescio told The Local later. “The results are really surprising, mind-boggling, to be honest with you.”
Before entering politics, Gates was the president of Unifor Local 199 for more than a decade. He was a sitting Niagara Falls city councillor when Liberal MPP Kim Craitor resigned from the seat. He won a by-election held in 2014 and has held it since.
Gates ran this election campaign on many of the same issues as in previous years - his commitment to being the voice of his riding and the need to push Doug Ford and his government to improve healthcare and education, protect the environment, and make housing and everyday expenses more affordable. He recently added a plea to “buy Canadian” to his campaign in response to the threat of U.S. tariffs hurting Canadian businesses and jobs.
Nieuwesteeg, a current Niagara Falls city councillor, said in an emailed response to The Local leading up to the election that she was “honoured and grateful to be appointed” to represent the Progressive Conservative party and that she looked forward to serving the people of Niagara Falls.
A long-time resident of Niagara Falls and owner and operator of Patterson Funeral Home in that city, she said she was “committed to representing the interests of our residents.”
While Nieuesteeg avoided contact with media during the campaign, as did other PC candidates across the province, she said on her website that she would work to keep taxes low, improve healthcare, and invest in local businesses to build a stronger, more prosperous Niagara Falls.
Toronto resident Shafoli Kapur said she was thrilled to be given the opportunity to make a move into politics as the Liberal candidate to represent the Niagara Falls riding in this election.
Her top three issues during her campaign were the high cost of living, housing prices and fixing a crumbling healthcare system
Also on the ballot for the Niagara Falls riding were Joedy Burdett, running as an Independent; Gary Dumelie of the New Blue Party; Andrew Soifert of the Ontario Party; and Green Party representative Celia Taylor.
In Niagara Centre, Jeff Burch edged Port Colborne Mayor Bill Steele, the PC candidate, by just under 2,500 votes, taking a 42.3 per cent share, to hold onto his seat. Jennie Stevens also fought a close race to earn reelection in St. Catharines. She edged PC candidate Sal Sorrento by just over 3,200 votes, taking 42 per cent of the votes to Sorrento's 35.
Sam Oosterhoff captured 50 per cent of the votes in Niagara West for anther term at Queen's Park, making him once again the sole Conservative MPP in the region. The current Associate Minister of Energy-Intensive Industries more than doubled his nearest challenger, Liberal representative Shauna Boyle, 22,316 to 11,091.