TED PRITCHARD / Staff Liberal Scott Brison shakes the hands of well-wishers at his election night headquarters at the Old Orchard Inn in the Annapolis Valley before making his victory speech after winning Kings-Hants. Businessman, 37. From Cheverie, Hants County. Crossed the floor in December 2003, teaming up with the Grits. First elected in 1993, re-elected in 2000, both times as a Tory. KINGS-HANTS Scott Brison, Liberal 17,554 Bob Mullan, Conservative 11,294 Skip Hambling, NDP 6,638 Kevin Stacey, Green 1,364 Jim Hnatiuk, Christian Heritage 486 Richard Hennigar, Independent 300

By GORDON DELANEY / Valley Bureau

GREENWICH - It wasn't the horse race some expected it to be.

Incumbent Scott Brison won a clear mandate to represent the constituents of Kings-Hants on Monday, this time as a newly minted Liberal.

With 104 of 187 polls reporting, the 37-year-old former Tory MP from Cheverie, Hants County, had a comfortable 3,407-vote lead over his closest rival, Conservative candidate Bob Mullan.

Mr. Brison, who defected to the Liberals in December, was greeted Monday night by cheers and loud applause from a couple hundred Liberal supporters at a Greenwich hotel after he was declared the winner.

They yelled, "We love you Scottie," as he took the podium.

"There is no culture of defeat in this room," said Mr. Brison, referring to Conservative Leader Stephen Harper's comments about Atlantic Canada before the election campaign.

Mr. Brison promised to stand up for the people of Kings-Hants, who gave him a resounding victory.

At deadline, Mr. Brison had 9,410 votes to Mr. Mullan's 6,003. NDP candidate Skip Hambling had 3,329 votes, or 17 per cent of the popular vote, which is what recent polls predicted for the party.

A jubilant Mr. Brison said voters in Kings-Hants chose to defend Canadian values.

"They believe in family values, but they don't believe family values should be used for prejudice and bigotry."

He charged that Mr. Harper would set the country back 30 years socially. He thanked former Progressive Conservatives who flocked to support him after his defection to the Liberals.

He added that it took a lot of courage for many people who have voted Conservative for years, even generations, to change their political stripe.

Mr. Brison ran a strong campaign, bringing in political heavyweights like Prime Minister Paul Martin, who visited the riding on the last day of the campaign.

Throughout the campaign, he stressed the Liberal record on defeating decades of government deficits and recently pumping more money into health care. Mr. Brison also stressed his record of working hard for his constituents.

The mood was more sombre at the Conservative headquarters, in the same hotel where the Liberals were celebrating. Mr. Mullan said in an interview that he was proud of his campaign team.

"We started in December with $1,400, no candidate and half our executive gone," said Mr. Mullan, a Kentville physician. "We were demoralized and we were decimated."

He added that he hadn't thought his team could achieve as much as it did.

"I fought the best fight I could," he added.

He said his campaign team is much more experienced now and will be ready to fight another election soon if a minority government were elected.

"These people are ready to go to work tomorrow to start fighting the next election."

He said he would consult with his family before making a decision to run again.

Mr. Brison can claim a bit of history, becoming only the second Liberal to win the riding in the last 50 years. John Murphy won it for the Liberals in 1993 but was defeated by Mr. Brison and the Tories in 1997.

Mr. Brison can also claim now to have won the same riding for two different parties.