Liberals take Kanata-Carleton in byelection after decades of conservative wins

LiberalKaren McCrimmonhas won the provincial byelection in KanataCarleton to replace former Progressive Conservative MPPMerrilee Fullerton, according to unofficial results posted Thursday evening.

Six candidatesviedfor the spotvacated in March when Fullertonabruptly resigned both her seat and postas minister of children, community and social services.

Before McCrimmon's win Thursday night, theriding had been held by conservatives for decades.

With all polls reporting, McCrimmongot11,066 votes, or about 34per cent of the vote,to defeat the second-place Progressive Conservativecandidate Sean Webster, who got 10,415 votes, or about 32 per cent.

It was a tight race the Liberal MPP-elect won by 651 votes.

NDP candidate Melissa Coenraad finished third with 9,560 votes, or about 29 per cent of the vote.

McCrimmon represented KanataCarleton at the federal level from 2015-21, and then decided not to run again.

Theformer two-term MPdid not seek re-election in 2021 due to minor health issuesand other family matters, she previously told CBCNews. Now inprovincial politics, shesaid she'shoping tohelpreduce the shortage offamily doctors in Ontario.

In an interview with CBC Radio's Ottawa Morning on Friday, McCrimmonsaid she was prompted to run by what she called the "quiet dismantling" of Ontarioinstitutions.

"I believe in a very strong public sector; I want strong public health care, strong public education, the preservation of public green spaces, et cetera," she said.

"I think people are worried about what they see. I think they were seeing the same things I wasthe dismantling of our public health-care system, and selling it off in bits and pieces. I know that just opens the door. And selling off pieces of our green space and Greenbelt, and the underfunding of education."

McCrimmon was a member of the Canadian Armed Forces and served assenior staff officer at the NATO Air Headquarters. In 2004, shedid a tour of duty in Afghanistan.

Voter turnout about 35 per cent

In the 2022 provincial election, the riding electedFullerton for the Progressive Conservatives with more than 43 per cent of the vote. The NDPcandidatereceived about 24 per cent and the Liberalsreceived about 23 per cent that year.

KanataCarleton has a population of 110,965 and was home to 88,936 registered voters in the 2022 election.

The provincial riding in rural west Ottawa and the suburb of Kanatahas been redrawn and renamed over the years,but regardless of its precise boundaries, it hadbeen retained by the PCsin an unbroken streak lasting decades.

According to unofficial results posted Thursday evening, voter turnout was about 35per cent.

Official results andvoter turnoutwill be available from Elections Ontarioafterthey're certified by a provincial election clerk.