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The Opposition Liberals have won a hotly contested by-election for the St. Johns-area seat vacated by former Newfoundland and Labrador premier Kathy Dunderdale.

Results from Elections Newfoundland and Labrador for Wednesdays race had businesswoman Cathy Bennett winning the riding of Virginia Waters by a narrow margin over the second-place Tories, with the NDP finishing a distant third.

The Progressive Conservatives had held the riding since 2003.

Bennett defeated St. Johns city councillor Danny Breen of the Progressive Conservatives and NDP hopeful Sheilagh OLeary, a former municipal councillor in the city.

The riding became vacant after former premier Kathy Dunderdale quit politics and resigned her seat on Feb. 28.

Elections Newfoundland and Labradors unofficial vote tally had the Liberals with 1,932 votes, just 40 more than the Tory total of 1,892.

The NDP took 1,021 votes.

Elections Newfoundland and Labrador issued a news release saying just over 49 per cent of the 9,853 eligible voters cast a ballot in the by-election.

Don Mills, the president of Corporate Research Associates, said in an interview the Liberals will be pleased to take a long-time Tory seat, but the Conservatives are showing they remain competitive.

Its a positive for the Liberals for sure and an indication they are legitimately a party in waiting to take over the government, said Mills.

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Liberals win Newfoundland by-election to fill ex-premiers vacant seat