Flip-flopping constituency of Riel back to NDP

The CTV News Decision Desk is declaring NDP's Mike Moyes the winner, grabbing 54.9 per cent of the vote with 12/18 polls reporting. (File photo.)

The constituency of Riel in south Winnipeg has flipped back to the Manitoba NDP, removing a Tory cabinet minister from the seat.

The CTV News Decision Desk is declaring NDP's Mike Moyes the winner, grabbing 54.4 per cent of the vote with 17/18 polls reporting.

Moyes' win brings the riding back to the NDP from Tory incumbent and cabinet minister Rochelle Squires who has held the seat since 2016.

Moyes did run in the last provincial election but lost to Squires by a margin of about 1,000 votes.

The Riel constituency has flipped back and forth between the PCs and NDP since it was created in 1969. The last time the NDP won the seat was in the 2011 election.

Moyes is a teacher at Glenlawn Collegiate and has been teaching for 16 years in the Louis Riel School Division. He lives in the constituency with his wife and two kids.

He also beat Manitoba Liberal candidate LéAmber Kensley and Green Party candidate Greg Boettcher.