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Concordia seat will likely stay NDP: McFadyen

WINNIPEG — Manitoba Conservative Leader Hugh McFadyen appears to have conceded defeat in today's provincial by-election in Concordia.

Asked about the by-election this morning at the end of a scrum about high reoffending rates among offenders sent to provincial jails, McFadyen said the Tories have a good candidate but the party is not holding its breath on a possible upset victory in the NDP stronghold.

"We don't have any champagne on ice over at party headquarters in anticipation of a big surprise tonight. I think it would be safe to bet that if Concordia falls then anything can happen, I guess," he told reporters.

"I expect that the NDP will... own the podium when it comes to Concordia tonight," McFadyen said.

The Conservatives' Brian Biebrich is one of four candidates contesting the seat that became available because of former premier Gary Doer's departure from provincial politics.

Favoured to win the race is the NDP's Matt Wiebe. Also running are Liberal candidate Judi Heppner and the Green Party's Ellen Young.

McFadyen called Biebrich a "terrific candidate who is running a good campaign." But he said he was "not expecting big surprises tonight."

larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca

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