Green Party candidate Tayte Willows wins Cornwall-Meadowbank byelection, defeating Liberals

Green Party candidate Tayte Willows has won the District 16 Cornwall-Meadowbank byelection in Prince Edward Island, defeating Liberal and Progressive Conservative rivals to become the area's new MLA.

Willows secured 1,184 votes, or 39.65 per cent of ballots cast, finishing 229 votes ahead of Liberal candidate Robert Mitchell, who received 955 votes.

Progressive Conservative candidate Caley McDonald came third with 823 votes, while NDP candidate Craig Nash finished fourth with 24 votes.

Speaking to CBC News, Willows thanked voters for their support: "I do not think there are words for the feeling I am having right now.”

“This is wild to feel like so many people here in Cornwall-Meadbank are putting their trust in us as the Green Party, putting their trust in me as their MLA," Willows said.

She said the result would give the Green Party "an incredible boost" ahead of the next provincial election and showed the party was "not just a fringe party."

The byelection was called following the death of former Progressive Conservative MLA and health minister Mark McLane in March.

After the result, Mitchell thanked supporters, saying: "It’s not the result we were hoping for and obviously not the result all of you worked for on my behalf."

He said he would take time to reflect before deciding on his future as Liberal leader.