Ontario’s Progressive Conservatives held onto the ridings of York-Simcoe and Hamilton East-Stoney Creek, while the NDP maintained its grip on Scarborough Southwest in three provincial byelections held Thursday.
According to Elections Ontario’s unofficial results page, NDP’s Fatima Shaban won by a 2,240-vote margin, securing 40.47 per cent of the vote share, with 57 out of 57 polls reporting. Voter turnout was 26.5 per cent.
PC candidate Susan Lahey won in YorkâSimcoe, with a 2,549-vote margin, securing 49.81 per cent of the vote share. Voter turnout was 21 per cent.
PC’s Jeff Beattie, meanwhile, won by a 1,614-vote margin, securing 38.87 per cent of the vote share, with 44 out of 44 polls reporting. Voter turnout was 29.25 per cent.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford joined Beattie at Clifford Brewing Company, a craft brewery in Hamilton, for the campaign celebration Thursday night.
âTonight, Ontario voters in York-Simcoe and Hamilton East-Stoney Creek elected two strong local representatives who will protect Ontario, stand up for workers and families and keep our province moving forward,â Ford said in a news release.
In a post on social media platform X, the Ontario NDP said Shaban is “a voice from this community, for this community, joining Marit Stiles and the Ontario NDP to make life more affordable and get Scarborough its fair share. Congratulations, Fatima. Let’s go get it.”
Ford called the three byelections in early August after three MPPs stepped down.
Scarborough Southwest became vacant after Doly Begum, an NDP MPP, resigned to run for the federal Liberals in the same riding. She won the seat in a federal byelection in April.
Shaban, a community advocate, faced off in the riding against Liberal candidate Ahsanul Hafiz, a businessman who owns 30 Dominos pizza restaurants, and PC candidate Noor Tarun.
Hafiz won the nomination race, beating former MP Nate Erskine-Smith, who intended to run for the party’s leadership.
YorkâSimcoe was up for grabs after Caroline Mulroney, a Progressive Conservative MPP and former Treasury Board president, stepped down from politics in June, saying she wanted to begin a new chapter of her life.
Lahey, an East Gwillimbury town councillor, faced off in the riding against Liberal Naomi Davison and NDP’s Bobby Nikmard.
Hamilton East-Stoney Creek became vacant after Neil Lumsden, a Progressive Conservative MPP and Ontario’s former minister of sport, retired in early August.
PC Jeff Beattie wins Hamilton EastâStoney Creek byelection
Beattie, a longtime city councillor, ran for the seat in that riding, beating the NDP’s Monique Taylor and Liberal Heino Doessing.
