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Conservatives win longtime Liberal stronghold Toronto-St. Paul’s in shock byelection result
Stunning result raises questions about Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s future
Conservative candidate Don Stewart has won the longtime federal Liberal stronghold of Toronto-St. Paul’s, a stunning result that raises questions about Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s future.
Stewart’s victory is shocking because the seat has been held by the Liberals for more than 30 years — even through the party’s past low points, such as the 2011 federal election that returned just 34 Liberal MPs to Parliament.
Before Monday’s vote, a Conservative candidate hadn’t been competitive in Toronto-St. Paul’s since the 1980s. The party hadn’t won a seat in urban Toronto since the 2011 federal election.
Monday’s result was a nail-biter to the very end.
While Liberal candidate Leslie Church was in the lead for most of the evening, the final batch of votes posted around 4:30 a.m. ET delivered the seat to Stewart and a major breakthrough to Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre.
The Liberals’ poor showing in a stronghold like this could prompt some soul-searching for Trudeau, who has seen his popularity plummet as inflation, the cost of living crisis, high home prices and surging immigration levels drive voter discontent.
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