PC candidate Marco MacLeod declared unofficial winner of byelection in Pictou West

Progressive Conservative candidate Marco MacLeod has won the byelection in Pictou West, according to unofficial results posted on Tuesday night by Elections Nova Scotia.

MacLeod had a significant lead over his opponents throughout the evening, with the NDP candidate in second place, the Liberals in third and the Greens rounding out the field.

"All a person's got is reputation and work ethic and I've been blessed to come from a family that has these attributes in spades. We've been picking stones from the fields of MacLeod Meadows for over 200 years and here we are tonight. It took a lot," MacLeod told a cheering crowd at a Pictou restaurant, referencing the seventh-generation family farm where he lives and runs his own sawmill.

In an interview with CBC News, MacLeod, who has also worked as an engineer and flight instructor, said he felt overwhelmed by the support in the room at his victory party. He said he's always had an interest in politics and loves Pictou West.

"This is where I was born and raised and where I live, so I really want to represent the people here and improve life around here," he said.

MacLeod finished with 72.48 per cent of the vote. Voter turnout was 48.09 per cent, or a little less than half of the eligible voting population.

"Tonight, once again, the people had their say and they said we believe in the PC Party and we believe in Marco MacLeod," Premier Tim Houston said ahead of MacLeod's victory speech.

These are the unofficial results released by Elections Nova Scotia:

In a news release announcing the unofficial results, Elections Nova Scotia said official addition is scheduled for Thursday at 10 a.m. at the Pictou West returning office. It explained a candidate is officially declared elected when the writ of election has been completed and returned by the returning officer to the chief electoral officer.

The byelection was held to fill the seat held by the PC's Karla MacFarlane. MacFarlane, Nova Scotia's first female Speaker of the House, announced her retirement in April.

When asked about MacFarlane's time as an MLA, MacLeod noted she was present in the community and someone who was easy to reach out to if needed.

"She would check up on neighbours. When Hurricane Fiona blew through, she visited our farm, made sure everything was OK. So that meant a lot to us as constituents and I hope to continue that," MacLeod said.

In a news release following the vote, the Nova Scotia NDP acknowledged its candidate, Melinda MacKenzie, had a "strong showing" with a second place finish ahead of the Liberals and Green Party. It noted this byelection was the local teacher and Pictou town councillor's first time running for provincial office.

"I want to thank all my fellow candidates for running a great campaign and no matter the result, there is no doubt that the NDP is back in Pictou County," MacKenzie said in the news release.