Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservative candidates have won both Ontario byelections by good margins.
Zee Hamid, the PC candidate who has Liberal roots, won with over 2,400 votes, or nine percentage points, over Liberal Galen Naidoo Harris in the riding of Milton.
It was suggested by polls and observers that Milton would have been a tighter race as the Liberals looked to make an impact in the 905 corridor around Toronto that the Tories have won in the last two elections.
After winning, Hamid said: “I feel great. I think it’s an affirmation of the great work that our PC Party is doing in Ontario and people voted to continue that.”
Also, fellow PC candidate Steve Pinsonneault garnered 57 percent of the votes in the Tory stronghold of Lambton-Kent-Middlesex.
While celebrating with Hamid at his victory party in Milton, Ford said: “We’re fortunate, we’re blessed, but we’re very humbled about the victory.
“We couldn’t ask for two better candidates than Zee and Steve.”
The Liberals came second in both byelections while Opposition New Democrats came third.
While reacting in a statement, the Ontario Liberal Party said: “Tonight’s results in Milton and Lambton-Kent-Middlesex send a strong message: Bonnie Crombie and Ontario’s Liberals are the only alternative to Doug Ford.
“Ontario Liberals will continue to hold the Ford Conservatives accountable for choosing to reward their rich insider friends instead of fighting for the real people of Ontario.”
Milton has been vacant since cabinet minister Parm Gill’s resignation in February to join the federal Conservatives.
In south-west, Lambton-Kent-Middlesex was held by Monte McNaughton, who served in Opposition for the Progressive Conservatives, since 2011. McNaughton, a cabinet member, was viewed as a rising star on Ford’s team before his resignation last October.
Cathy Burghardt-Jesson, Liberal candidate, finished with over 9,000 votes behind Pinsonneault, a Chatham-Kent councillor, as she garnered 23 percent of the votes.
In the lead up to the byelection and during the byelection, Ford paid Milton a lot of attention with announcements on GO Transit service and Highway 413. He also had many cabinet ministers and other caucus members canvassing there.
Cameron Anderson, a political science professor at Western University, said: “The path to victory is going to be won through the 905, as it has been for the Conservatives, and so holding onto this seat and doing so quite convincingly at this stage should be really emboldening for the Conservatives.
“I see a not bad showing for the Liberals at just under 40 per cent, but clearly not a breakthrough for the Liberals and clearly not a repudiation of the governing party at this time.”