Nearly 40,000 residents voted in the Simcoe North byelection on Thursday, which saw PC leader Patrick Brown become the riding’s new MPP.
According to Elections Ontario’s unofficial results, 39,297 of 96,138 eligible voters caste a ballot at polling stations across the riding. That equates to 40.88 per cent.
Brown sailed to victory with little problem, securing 21,103 ballots or 53.7 per cent of the vote to win the riding. Brown defeated Liberal Fred Larsen, who was his closest competitor, by 11,843 votes.
The PC leader was facing seven other competitors, which included Larsen, who received 23.6 per cent of the vote. NDP candidate Elizabeth Van Houtte came in third with 16.9 per cent.
“To see such a huge jump in the Progressive Conservative vote means a lot. My family has been in Simcoe County for 70 years. To see this ringing endorsement; this is going to be the starting point to having our first premier in a hundred years from Simcoe County,” Brown says.
The win secures a seat for Brown in the Ontario Legislature, months after he was selected PC Leader.
“There is an overwhelming support for the ideas I’m talking about and it shows that the voters in Simcoe County don’t welcome the negative smear techniques that the Liberals used in this campaign. I’m just so proud of Simcoe County and excited to get to work tomorrow.”
He will replace former Conservative MPP Garfield Dunlop, who gave up his seat for Brown in July.
“I’ve reserved some time tomorrow to have lunch with my grandmother. My grandmother is 101, she’s in Toronto now and I haven’t had a chance to see her in a month,” says Brown.
The Legislature resumes sitting on Sept. 14.
Final unofficial results
- [PC] Patrick Brown - 21,103 - 53.7%
- [Liberal] Fred Larsen - 9,260 - 23.6%
- [NDP] Elizabeth Van Houtte - 6,622 - 16.9%
- [Green Party] Valerie Powell - 1,820 - 4.6%
- [New Reform Party] James Gault - 197 - 0.5%
- [The People] Kevin Clarke - 146 - 0.4%
- [Libertarian] Darren Roskam - 103 - 0.3%
- [Paupers] John Turmel - 46 - 0.1%
