HAPPY VALLEY-GOOSE BAY, N.L. — Taking down signs and enjoying a few days off are Perry Trimper’s plans for the long weekend. Trimper just won his second term as Liberal MHA for Lake Melville and said it’s a great feeling.
“An election, a political campaign is an amazing thing to do to yourself,” he told Labrador Voice Thursday night. “It’s a physical and mental marathon and you bring your family and your friends and your neighbours all along for the ride. It’s quite something.”
He won the district with 1517 votes, followed by PC Shannon Tobin with 1189 and independent Jim Learning with 603 votes.
Trimper said he felt each of candidates in the riding appealed to different parts of the electorate and brought a lot to the table. He said he couldn’t have pulled this victory off without having a great team around him.
With the Liberals poised to form a minority government and a number of seats changing hands, Trimper said it’s going to be a very different landscape than it’s been the last four years.
He did say he was sorry to hear that his former colleagues and Labrador MHA’s Graham Letto and Randy Edmunds lost their seats.
“It was a very different election for me this time because I knew so many of the players, last time I just knew a handful of them,” he said. “Over the last four years you get to know people pretty well, those in your party and those on the other side to the floor.”
Beaten but not defeated
PC candidate Shannon Tobin told the Voice that he never thought he would smile so much after a loss but that’s what happened May 16.
He said his team did a great job and he was happy to give Trimper a run for his money.
“This was close and I’m very proud of that,” he said. “I’m definitely running again. A firm yes.”
He said the amount of support that he received was very encouraging and going up against an established candidate was an uphill battle, in terms of resources.
