The Saskatchewan Party candidate Jim Lemaigre has won the Athabasca byelection that saw him loosen the grip on a nearly 25-year NDP hold on the seat. 

Lemaigre, a former Mountie, who worked as the program manager for Saskatchewan’s First Nations and Indigenous Policing Program, defeated NDPs Georgina Jolibois by 11 percent. NDPs Jolibois was the former five-term mayor of La Loche and NDP MP. 

Lemaigre took just about 51 percent of the total vote, with 1,146 under his belt. Jolibois finished the night with a total of 900 votes. 

Others participating in the byelection was Independent candidate Darwin Roy, who lost the NDP nomination to Jolibois; came in third with 157 votes. Buffalo Party candidate Clint Arnason came in last with 12 votes. 

Premier Scott Moe was excited about the news, taking to social media to thank everyone who voted for Lemaigre. Lemaigre is the first-ever Saskatchewan Party MLA in the far north. 

 “Jim will be an outstanding representative and a strong voice for the north in our Saskatchewan Party government,” stated Moe.