After finishing a close second in the recent provincial election, Lisa Vezeau-Allen says she is returning to her work representing Ward 2 at Sault Ste. Marie City Council.
Vezeau-Allen took an unpaid leave of absence while she was running to be the Sault MPP under the Ontario NDP banner. In the end, 114 votes separated her from winning the seat.
"I've got lots of city emails to respond to. I have a deep amount of gratitude to my colleague Luke Dufour for taking care of Ward 2 during my leave," said Vezeau-Allen in a phone interview on Tuesday.
Vezeau-Allen said there was some confusion about the official results that were announced on Monday, a few days after the unofficial count showed she was down by 118 votes.
She said there was no request for a recount and clarified her reasons for not conceding the contest on the night of the election.
"I think people were confused about that and I'm like, 'this is the unofficial number. Let's wait till we get the official number.'"
As it turned out, the number of votes between herself and first place Ontario PC candidate Chris Scott did vary by four votes between election night and the announcement on Monday of the official numbers from the local returning officer.
"Strange things can happen. I will give Elections Ontario credit because they had to work on a fast turn around, with getting staff trained and that sort of thing. There were some variations in numbers and it gives us lots of good information in terms of areas and polls where we did really well and areas where we need some improvement," she added.
Vezeau-Allen said she is looking ahead to a possible rematch in four years when she plans to run again for the Sault Ste. Marie seat at Queen's Park.
"Campaigns are really built on volunteers, regardless of party, and I'm really thankful for all of the volunteers and for all of the community support. It was very humbling and I plan to nurture those relationships and continue to build up the ground swell that we have here for the party and continue to work with [NDP leader] Marit Stiles and her team," said Vezeau-Allen.
Vezeau-Allen said she will not be running in the upcoming federal election, but will support Laura Mayer, who was selected last month as the NDP candidate for the Sault Ste. Marie-Algoma riding
"I'll help her as as much as I possibly can. She actually came in and did some phone calls and stuff for us on the campaign, so I'm really happy for her and happy that we do have a great candidate," said Vezeau-Allen.
Earlier on Tuesday, Vezeau-Allen released the following statement in response to the Sault Ste. Marie election results:
"Upon receipt of the official results received signed by the returning officer yesterday at 2:55 p.m. please find my official statement. I will be sending a message to newly elected MPP Scott via the PC SSM Riding Association President, Mr. Jason Naccarato.
"I want to express my deep gratitude to everyone who supported me in this election. While the result was incredibly close—just 114 votes—it is clear that the people of Sault Ste. Marie have spoken in this historically tight race.
"I have spent my life dedicated to this community, working tirelessly on council and beyond to make Sault Ste. Marie a place we call home. That work does not stop today.
"As someone who has lived here, raised a family here, and fought for the well-being of our city firsthand, I know this community in a way that only a true Saultite does.
"This election may not have ended how we were hoping, but this is not the end of the road. Sault Ste. Marie deserves representation that understands its challenges, its potential, and its people. It’s only a matter of time before I take this fight to Queen’s Park, where the Sault deserves a strong, caring voice—one that truly knows what this city needs to thrive.
"I will continue my work on council, advocating for the Sault with the same passion and determination that I always have. The future of this city matters too much to step away now. Thank you again to everyone who believes in this vision—we are just getting started."
Lisa Vezeau-Allen, SSM NDP Candidate of Record