London North Centre candidates make last minute push in tightly contested riding

As voters made their way into the returning office to cast a ballot Tuesday, they knew their vote could make the difference in London North Centre.

“Given that it’s going to be close, it’s important to get your vote in,” said one voter.

According to experts it’s expected to be a tight three-way race between NDP incumbent Terence Kernaghan, Ontario PC Party newcomer Jerry Pribil and Liberal candidate Kate Graham.

“We've seen a lot of stops in recent weeks from the leaders,” said Matt Farrell, a political science professor at Fanshawe College and elections analyst.

“So that gives us the impression that they're making that last minute push, and they think that it's in reach,” he said.

That’s potentially why all three favoured candidates were hitting the campaign trail hard Tuesday.

“We've set a sign record from the past election,” said Kernaghan, who was campaigning on Becher Street.

NDP Incumbent Terence Kernaghan speaks to a constituent while campaigning on Becher Street on May 31, 2022. (Brent Lale/CTV News London)

“Just lots of lots of great energy and we've got all momentum. People are really responding to a message of reinvesting in mental health, health care, making sure we shore up education and long term care. These are issues and also having enough focus on housing, and we are not taking our foot off the gas,” he added.

In the north end of the city on Stoneybrook Crescent, both Pribil and Graham were door knocking just a few hundred metres apart.

“This is going to be a tight race,” said Graham, who expects to improve after receiving 15 per cent of the vote in the 2018 election.

She says she’s door knocking 13 hours per day recently and hearing about cost of living concerns.

“Gas, groceries, housing costs are going up way faster than incomes and pensions. In every neighborhood in the riding, people are really feeling the same,” she said.

Liberal Candidate Kate Graham leaders her team door knocking on Stoneybrook Crescent In North London on May 31, 2022. (Brent Lale/CTV News London)Pribil claims he isn’t looking at the polling data, and is working as if they are 10 points behind.

“We are hitting this week every day over 1,000 doors, and we are paying attention to every word everyone is saying,” said Pribil, the Ontario PC candidate.

“The people are saying the opposition is doing a very good job of holding the government accountable but on the other hand, we need advocacy and that's the part we are missing at Queen's Park. It seems like Doug Ford and PC Ontario is going to win majority government, and you really hope to be at the table and fight for London,” he added.

Ontario PC Candidate Jerry Pribil knocks on doors on Geary Ave in North London on May 31, 2022. (Brent Lale/CTV News London)This riding is unique in that it has never belonged to just one party. Over the past decade either federally or provincially, all three major parties have won the seat.

“Demographically and economically it’s pretty diverse,” said Farrell.

“There's a good mix of different activities. There's trades, there's the university and the hospital,” Farrell added. “So it's there's no real natural advantage for one party in London North Centre. I think that feeds into the fact that it's really close.”

The other candidates running are Carol Dyck, Tommy Caldwell, Darrel Grant, Paul McKeever, and George Le Mac.