Sault Ste. Marie's vulnerable industrial economy and strong union base and the NDP's populist strength in Northern Ontario made the riding a prime target for the party. Martin won by almost 1,000 votes, once again defeating incumbent Liberal Carmen Provenzano, who had taken the seat in the 1997 election. Martin was re-elected in the 2006 campaign, as the NDP increased its representation from 19 seats to 29. Martin won his third term federally in the 2008 snap election as the NDP won 37 seats.
