In a region that seldom sees surprises on election night, Chandra Pasma and the NDP offered a big one in Ottawa West-Nepean, one that took four years.
Pasma defeated progressive Conservative Jeremy Roberts by nearly 900 votes to secure a surprise victory for the new Democrats and join Ottawa Center re-elected MP Joel Harden as part of the official opposition.
“It feels amazing, we’re having great success tonight, it was a lot of work and a lot of persistence, but it really paid off,” Pasma said from his election party Thursday night at Barley Mow on Merivale Road.
Four years ago he lost to Roberts by just 175 votes, which he said provided a “spark of hope and confidence.”
“We have worked hard to build it with patience and persistence for a period of four years,” he said.
Conservative Progressive Goldie Ghamari was re-elected to her seat in Carleton. He joins leader Doug Ford and his majority government in returning to Queen’s Park. (Krystalle Ramlakhan / CBC)
Computers hold on to other cyclists
In Ontario’s first election since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the electoral map in and around the nation’s capital had relatively few other changes.
After more than two years of uncertainty and concern, most voters decided to stick with the politicians and parties they chose in 2018.
Doug Ford and his progressive Conservatives raised their majority in Queen’s Park and held their other seats in Ottawa.
In Kanata-Carleton, Merrilee Fullerton was re-elected. Goldie Ghamari, in Carleton, also held her seat and already knows what she wants to focus on when she returns to the legislature.
“I want more schools to be built, more infrastructure. To continue to be a strong voice for the people of Carleton,” Ghamari said at his victory party at the Manotick Legion.
Lisa MacLeod, MPP for the past 16 years and part of Ford’s cabinet, was re-elected to Nepean. But MacLeod, who has faced criticism from his own party leader for a housing allowance he received from his horse association, did not allow the media to hear his acceptance speech.
Here’s a picture from outside pic.twitter.com/rn1UZvj3HK
– @ DCFraser
NDP seeks new leadership
Pasma joins Joel Harden as NPD representatives, but they will do so without party leader Andrea Horwath announcing her resignation on Thursday night.
“I want to congratulate Andrea for leading us four times in four election campaigns,” Harden said. “I think we need a change of leadership. I do.”
Pasma said he will defend the issues he heard during the campaign.
“Housing and affordability,” Pasma said. “The NDP had a very strong platform on these two issues.”
‘We did it!’ Chandra Pasma celebrates with her fans after taking Ottawa West-Nepean by the NDP. Pasma had narrowly lost to starter Jeremy Roberts in 2018. (Matthew Kupfer / CBC)
The Liberals win in Kingston
Liberal incumbents Stephen Blais in Orleans, John Fraser in South Ottawa and Lucille Collard in Ottawa-Vanier retained their seats, but his party leader Steven Del Duca was the second of the night to resign.
“It’s not what we expected. It’s not the message we were getting from the Ontarians. So again, we need to find out what happened, why it happened and how we’re going to move forward,” Collard said.
Ted Hsu, who left federal politics as a Member of Parliament for Kingston and the Islands in 2014, has been elected deputy for the constituency, which was previously held by Ian Arthur of the NDP.
John Fraser celebrates victory in South Ottawa on election night in Ottawa on June 2, 2022. (Dan Taekema / CBC)
PCs win two seats, two new members
In Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston, controversial and independent MPP Randy Hillier did not seek re-election and will be replaced by progressive Conservative John Jordan.
And Stéphane Sarrazin regained the Glengarry-Prescott-Russell riding of the liberal Amanda Simard. She had run and won as a PC candidate in the 2018 election, but later that year she left the party and joined the Liberals.
“I think people wanted someone with a strong voice in Toronto and that’s what I had to offer,” Sarrazin said after his victory. “It wasn’t easy for the Ford government with COVID and all that happened, they needed four more years to show what they can do.”
Three progressive Conservative MPs held their seats in other parts of eastern Ontario.
Steve Clark, representing Leeds-Grenville Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes and cabinet minister under Doug Ford, retained his seat, as did John Yakabuski, re-elected to Renfrew-Nippissing-Pembroke. Todd Smith in Quinte Bay will soon begin his fourth term in office.
Two newly elected members will continue to represent the PCs: Nolan Quinn will take over from Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry and Ric Bresee will take over from Hastings-Lennox-Addington.