Progressive Conservatives and NDP retain seats in Ontario byelections

Ontario’s governing Progressive Conservatives and the New Democrats each kept seats in three provincial byelections held Thursday, leaving the balance at Queen’s Park unchanged. In Hamilton EastStoney Creek, PC candidate Jeff Beattie defeated NDP incumbentturnedcandidate Monique Taylor with about 39 per cent of the vote. In YorkSimcoe, Conservative Susan Lahey won the seat formerly held by Caroline Mulroney. In Scarborough Southwest, the NDP’s Fatima Shaban prevailed in a close race with the Liberals. Premier Doug Ford said the results showed support for his party as it confronts U.S. tariff pressures, while NDP Leader Marit Stiles argued the byelections showed her party remains the main challenger to Ford’s PCs. Voter turnout across the three contests was just over 25 per cent, according to unofficial Elections Ontario results.