South Winnipeg was the main battleground in the capital during the 2007 election, with the NDP, Liberals and Tories fighting over several seats in the area's fast-growing, affluent suburbs — but the NDP prevailed.
The leaders of all three parties spent a lot of time campaigning in key south-end ridings, several of which were held by NDP cabinet ministers.
The NDP brought high-profile television anchor Erin Selby into the Southdale riding in a successful attempt to unseat Jack Reimer, who had represented the area since 1990.
With 61 of 62 polls reporting, Selby had more than half of the popular vote in the constituency, a significant lead over Reimer, a businessman and former cabinet minister in Gary Filmon's Conservative government.
The NDP's Kerri Irvin-Ross, who took Fort Garry in a squeaker race that ended with a margin of just 87 votes in 2003, this time had more than 1,500 votes over her closest rival, Tory Shaun McCaffrey.
Fort Garry had been held mainly by the Conservatives until 2003, but the Liberals had hoped to take it with Craig Hildahl, a family physician who has practised in Winnipeg and in the United States. Hildahl came in third behind McCaffrey.
Tory disappointment in Riel, St. Norbert
The Tories also lost in Riel, despite hard campaigning with well-known civic activist Trudy Turner in a bid to win back the riding, which the party lost when the New Democrats swept to power in 1999.
In the 2003 election, Christine Melnick widened the NDP's lead over the Conservatives; she was then appointed to cabinet the fall after the election, increasing her profile. But as minister of family services, Melnick faced heavy criticism last year after the death of a child who had been in provincial care went unnoticed by authorities for months.
In the end, however, Melnick continued to widen her lead over the Tories, beating Turner by more than 2,000 votes.
The Conservatives also targeted St. Norbert in the hopes of returning it to its blue roots. NDP backbencher Marilyn Brick snatched it away from the Tories in 2003 by fewer than 1,000 votes.
This time around, Brick was challenged by Tory candidate Tara Brousseau, an administrator for two personal care homes.
Brick, like Melnick, built on her 2003 lead; she increased her lead to about 53 per cent of the popular vote, up five percentage points over 2003.
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Manitoba Votes 2007 Headlines »
- NDP wins historic 3rd majority in Manitoba
- Manitoba NDP Leader Gary Doer has led his party to a historic third majority government in the province's 39th general election, taking 36 of 57 seats.
- PCs win 19 seats, lose ground from 2003
- The Progressive Conservatives won 19 out of 57 ridings Tuesday — a drop of one seat from 2003.
- Liberals hold 2 seats
- Voters denied the Liberals official party status on Tuesday, although the party held its two existing seats.
- Greens make slight gains
- The Green party's dreams of a breakthrough quickly wilted on Tuesday night.
- 16 cabinet ministers re-elected, one loses nailbiter
- Sixteen members of Premier Gary Doer's former NDP cabinet in Manitoba were re-elected Tuesday, but Trade Minister Scott Smith lost the riding of Brandon West in a squeaker.