The political tide has turned in the Nova Scotia riding of Sackville-Cobequid.

Progressive Conservative Steve Craig beat Lara Fawthrop of the NDP by 183 votes in a byelection held Tuesday.

It was a tight race in a riding that has been held by the NDP since 1984 when John Holm took over from Malcolm MacKay. The seat was vacated last fall when Dave Wilson retired.

Craig garnered 2,655 votes to 2,472 for Fawthrop. Liberal Michel Hindlet was third with 658 and Green Party candidate Anthony Edmonds was fourth with 488. Atlantica Party candidate David Boyd was last with just 43 votes. There were 6,316 people who cast votes in the byelection.

Craig was greeted with cheers and hugs as he was declared the winner at PC headquarters in Lower Sackville Tuesday evening. With PC Leader Tim Houston behind him, Craig thanked his supporters and those who voted for him.

“The things that I’ve heard on the doorstep were around healthcare, education, the economy, so what we need to do is to be able to listen well to our residents, and that’s something I’ve done for many, many years,” said Craig. “And to be able to take that and then try to figure out what the real issues are, formulate plans to move forward, and make things happen.”

The official count will be held Thursday at 10 a.m.

If the results hold, Craig, a Halifax regional councillor, will have to resign and that will require a byelection in his municipal district. He says he still has some work to do as a councillor before he focuses solely on provincial politics.