Political trilogy in Winnipeg West could be race to watch

CTV’s Jeff Keele has more on the federal riding of Winnipeg West and how close the race could be.

The race in the Winnipeg West riding is a political trilogy, with the Conservative incumbent and Liberal candidate going head-to-head again.

“This is like the repeat of the repeat here with two candidates,” said Curtis Brown of Probe Research.

In 2019 and in 2021, Conservative Party of Canada candidate Marty Morantz defeated Liberal Party candidate Doug Eyolfson in the riding formally known as Charleswood-St. James-Assiniboia-Headingley.

“I’ve never really looked at it like I’m running against somebody else,” said Morantz. “I’m running to be the member of Parliament for this area.”

Morantz, a former Winnipeg city councillor, said he’s running for re-election to help restore affordability.

“In 2015, housing prices were half of what they are now, rents were half of what they are now, down payments on homes were half of what they are, groceries were affordable.”

Eyolfson was the MP for the area until Morantz beat him. He finished within five hundred votes of Morantz in 2021 in the rematch.

“It was very close last time, and I think there’s a lot of confidence in our new leader, Mr. (Mark) Carney,” said Eyolfson.

Eyolfson, an emergency room doctor, said he wants to continue working on health initiatives like the current Pharmacare program.

“I saw some changes that really needed to be made, and one of the things among that was I saw patients coming in extremely ill because they couldn’t afford medications.”

Brown said this could be tight on election night, something that didn’t seem possible a few months ago when the Liberals were down in the polls.

“Based on where things are at now, it is a riding where if the Liberals are running fairly strong in Manitoba, they do have a good shot at it,” said Brown.

Elections Canada has two other candidates on the ballot. Retired IT professional Dennis Bayomi is representing the Green Party.

“We’re giving voters a green choice,” said Bayomi. “It’s going to be a close race between two candidates, but we need to get some ideas out there, the climate emergency for one.”

The NDP said candidate Avery Selby Lyons was not available for an interview.