Constituents in the St. John’s district of Waterford Valley have a new representative in Confederation Building. Jamie Korab won a highly competitive byelection Thursday night.

The St. John’s city councillor and former Olympic champion curler secured 2,067 votes. Progressive Conservative Jesse Wilkins, a former Royal Newfoundland Constabulary and RCMP officer, finished second at 1,423. The New Democrats’ Nicole Boland, a social worker, received 1,027 votes.

The byelection was called when former Liberal cabinet minister Tom Osborne, the longest-serving MHA in Newfoundland and Labrador’s history, retired in July. He represented the district for almost three decades, as a PC, an independent and, finally, a Liberal.

The stakes were high for the governing Liberals. The Waterford Valley race marked the province’s fourth byelection in 2024, with the Tories flipping two former Liberal seats in rural Newfoundland. The Liberals won the first byelection when former broadcaster Fred Hutton won the Conception Bay East-Bell Island seat, long held by former Opposition leader David Brazil.

With the win, the Liberals hold 22 of the 40 seats in the House of Assembly. The PCs have 14 seats, the NDP hold two, and there are two Independents. 

NTV’s Bailey Howard is covering the story and will have a full report on Friday on NTV First Edition and the NTV Evening Newshour.