Liberal Stelman Flynn wins Humber East byelection

Stelman Fylnn is the MHA-elect for the district of Humber East, after winning former premier Tom Marshall's seat in a byelection on Tuesday night.

Flynn easily beat PC Lary Wells and NDPcandidate Martin Ware, and has become the first Liberal to takethe seat since Marshall was elected in 2003.

Flynn won with 2263 votes, while Wells had 1454 votes, and Ware received 315 votes.

The victory in Humber East was one of two for the Liberals on Tuesday night. In the district of Trinity-Bay de Verde, Liberal Steve Crocker easily captured the seat, held by former Tory finance minister Charlene Johnson.

• Steve Crocker sweeps Trinity-Bay de Verde byelection for Liberals

At his headquarters following the win, Flynn hugged everyone in the room, and thanked his supporters for all of their help during the campaign.

"Without the great volunteer support that I got inside the district and outside of the district, this would not have been possible," he said.

"It is you who made this possible, for the people of Newfoundland and Labrador, and it is you who made this possible for the people of Humber East."

Flynn said the ongoing issue of the new hospital in Corner Brook was something that came up repeatedly over the course of his campaign, and he said he feels that voters were looking for a fresh perspective.

Liberal wave

The Liberals have now taken seven consecutive seats from the PCs, who may beseeing their chances of regaining momentum slipping away as they head into an election year.

PC candidate Lary Wells said that he knew it was going to be a challenge to retain the seat for the Tories.

"I knew this was going to be an uphill battle," he said.

"I was obviously aware of the polls, and the Liberal wave that's been in the past five byelections."