Essex

The federal riding of Essex stretches across the southernmost reaches of Ontario, encompassing a collection of communities along the shores of Lake Erie and the Detroit River south of Windsor. The riding includes the municipalities of LaSalle, Amherstburg, Essex, Kingsville, and the western and central portions of Lakeshore. While suburban development has accelerated in recent decades — particularly in LaSalle, which serves as a bedroom community for Windsor — the riding remains largely agricultural. Essex County is home to the vast majority of the region's wineries and greenhouse operations, and the area's temperate climate supports a significant agricultural sector that relies heavily on seasonal migrant workers.

The riding's population skews slightly older than the Canadian average, and household incomes trend above the national median. The communities within Essex range from the heritage streetscapes of Amherstburg — one of the oldest European settlements in Ontario, with deep ties to the War of 1812 and the Underground Railroad — to the lakeside tourism hub of Kingsville and the farming hamlets scattered across the interior.

Candidates

Chris Lewis (Conservative) — A former municipal councillor in Kingsville, Lewis spent seven years as a member of the Kingsville Fire Department and chaired the Master Fire Planning Committee. He also worked for two decades in his family's business specializing in non-intrusive sewer and water repair. Active in community sports, Lewis played a key role in bringing Kraft Hockeyville to Kingsville in 2008. He was first elected to represent Essex in the 2019 federal election.

Tracey Ramsey (NDP) — Ramsey represented Essex as its Member of Parliament from 2015 to 2019, serving as the International Trade Critic, Justice Critic, and Deputy Labour Critic during the 42nd Parliament. Before entering politics, she worked at Ford Motor Company for nineteen years and is a graduate of practical nursing from St. Clair College. A member of Unifor Local 200, Ramsey brought union and manufacturing-sector experience to her candidacy.

Audrey Festeryga (Liberal) — A first-generation Canadian raised on a small family farm in Essex County, Festeryga is a lawyer who owns and manages a law practice while also operating the family farm in partnership with her mother and brother. She ran as the federal Liberal candidate in Essex three times — in 2015, 2019, and 2021 — finishing third in each contest.

Beth Charron-Rowberry (PPC) — A business owner operating an insurance agency in Essex County, Charron-Rowberry is a mother of three with family roots tracing back to immigrants from Ireland, Poland, and Romania.

About the Riding

Essex occupies a unique position in Canadian geography. Situated at the southernmost tip of mainland Canada, the riding lies at a latitude further south than parts of northern California. The Detroit River and Lake Erie form natural borders, and the proximity to the United States — the Ambassador Bridge and the Windsor-Detroit Tunnel are just north in the neighbouring riding — gives the area a cross-border economic character that few other Canadian ridings share.

Agriculture dominates the local economy, and the riding's greenhouse sector is among the largest in Canada. Hundreds of acres of glass and plastic structures produce tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and cannabis across the flat terrain near Kingsville and Leamington's borders. This industry depends on thousands of temporary foreign workers who arrive each season, and the treatment and housing conditions of these workers emerged as a prominent issue during the 2021 campaign.

The future of Enbridge's Line 5 pipeline — which carries crude oil and natural gas liquids beneath the Straits of Mackinac and serves refineries in Ontario and Quebec — was another defining issue. Michigan's governor had ordered the pipeline shut down, raising energy security concerns across southwestern Ontario. Candidates from all major parties expressed support for maintaining the pipeline's operation during the campaign.

Essex has swung between the NDP and the Conservatives in recent elections, reflecting the riding's blend of union-influenced labour politics and rural conservatism. The riding's working-class heritage, rooted in decades of automotive manufacturing in the broader Windsor-Essex region, continues to shape its political character.