In a stunning upset, Bobbi Ann Brady has clinched a second term as Ontario’s only Independent MPP, proving her 2022 victory in Haldimand-Norfolk was no accident. Facing off against a well-funded Progressive Conservative machine in Thursday’s election, Brady didn’t just win—she dominated, trouncing her Tory rival by over 20,000 votes, one of the widest margins in the province.
“I wanted to show that last time wasn’t a fluke,” Brady said, reflecting on her campaign from her home riding in southern Ontario. “But I never dreamed it’d be by this much.”
Despite Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives securing their third straight majority government, Haldimand-Norfolk bucked the trend. Brady, a former PC insider who spent 23 years as an aide to the riding’s previous Tory MPP, broke away in 2022 after the party bypassed an open nomination to hand-pick its candidate. That decision sparked her independent run—and a loyal following that’s only grown since.
This time, the Tories came prepared. “They waged war here,” Brady said, pointing to the heavy cash and high-profile cabinet ministers—like former education minister Stephen Lecce—who hit the campaign trail for her opponent, Norfolk County Mayor Amy Martin. But the people of Haldimand-Norfolk, Brady believes, have come to cherish her unfettered voice at Queen’s Park. “They value someone who answers only to them, not a party line,” she said.
Brady’s roots with the PCs run deep, yet her split from the party has fueled her appeal. Free from partisan constraints, she’s built a reputation as a fierce advocate for her rural riding, tackling issues like healthcare access and opposing what she calls reckless development. Her win underscores a rare appetite for independent representation in a province dominated by party politics.
With the election dust settling, Brady’s got big plans—but first, a breather. “I’ve got a stack of laundry that’s been mocking me for a month,” she laughed. “Maybe I’ll read a book or two before diving back in.” For now, though, Haldimand-Norfolk celebrates a resounding victory for its independent champion.