Voters wanted change and, for better or worse, they got it.
Ontario voters have delivered the Progressive Conservatives a majority government with 76 seats, with the NDP becoming the official opposition with 40 seats, and the Liberals losing their official party status with seven seats.
The Green Party of Ontario also made history by electing its first-ever MPP, with party leader Mike Schreiner winning in Guelph.
In the Kawarthas, both incumbent Liberals in the ridings of Peterborough-Kawartha and Northumberland-Peterborough South lost their seats to neophyte PC candidates.
Peterborough-Kawartha
It was a close race in Peterborough-Kawartha between PC candidate Dave Smith and NDP candidate Sean Conway but Smith won in the end by more than 2,000 votes.
By electing Smith, the riding maintains its bellwether status: it has sent a government MPP to Queen’s Park in every election since 1987.
A Peterborough resident since 1989, when he attended Trent University to obtain his Bachelor of Science in Computing Systems, Smith has no prior political experience. Working in the software industry, Smith is best known for his work in Peterborough’s hockey community, including founding the Under the Lock Tournament.
Northumberland-Peterborough South
Liberal Lou Rinaldi also lost his seat in Northumberland-Peterborough South, with PC candidate David Piccini beating both NDP candidate Jana Papuckoski and Rinaldi by more than 12,500 votes.
A native of Port Hope with a degree in political science and history, Piccini worked as a federal civil servant before running unsuccessfully as the federal Progressive Conservative candidate in Ottawa Vanier in 2015. He subsequently joined the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada as an advisor.
Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock
In Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock, PC incumbent Laurie Scott has easily retained her seat, winning in a landslide and receiving more than twice the votes of her nearest contender, NDP candidate Zac Miller.
This is the fifth time Scott has been elected to Queen’s Park, where she most recently served as the official opposition critic for community safety and women’s issues. Scott, who was born in Kinmount, previously worked as a registered nurse, including at the Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay. Her late father was a local federal MP for 28 years.
Hastings-Lennox and Addington
In the new riding of Hastings-Lennox and Addington, PC candidate Daryl Kramp emerged victorious, cruising to an easy victory over his closest contender, the NDP’s Nate Smelle.
The 70-year-old Kramp served as the federal Conservative MP for Prince Edward-Hastings from 2004 to 2015, when he was unseated by Liberal Mike Bossio. He had previously served as a councillor and Deputy-Reeve of Madoc in Hastings County, and worked as an investigator with the Ontario Provincial Police for five years. Kramp’s political experience makes it possible that Premier-designate Doug Ford will consider him for a Cabinet position.
Below are the complete results of the 2018 Ontario election for ridings in the Kawarthas, to be verified by Elections Ontario.
Peterborough-Kawartha
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dave Smith | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | 22,939 | 37.50% |
| Sean Conway | New Democratic Party of Ontario | 20,745 | 33.92% |
| Jeff Leal | Liberal Party of Ontario | 15,029 | 24.57% |
| Gianne Broughton | Green Party of Ontario | 2,055 | 3.36% |
| Jacob Currier | Ontario Libertarian Party | 242 | 0.40% |
| Rod Roddick | Trillium Party of Ontario | N/A | N/A |
| Bob Abrahams | Independent | N/A | N/A |
Northumberland-Peterborough South
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| David Piccini | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | 27,368 | 45.33% |
| Jana Papuckoski | New Democratic Party of Ontario | 14,794 | 24.50% |
| Lou Rinaldi | Liberal Party of Ontario | 14,593 | 24.17% |
| Jeff Wheeldon | Green Party of Ontario | 2,727 | 4.52% |
| John O’Keefe | Ontario Libertarian Party | 425 | 0.70% |
| Derek Sharp | Trillium Party of Ontario | N/A | N/A |
Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laurie Scott | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | 32,605 | 56.73% |
| Zachary Miller | New Democratic Party of Ontario | 15,209 | 26.46% |
| Brooklynne Cramp- Waldinsperge | Liberal Party of Ontario | 5,688 | 9.90% |
| Lynn Therien | Green Party of Ontario | 2,584 | 4.50% |
| Thomas Rhyno | Independent | 621 | 1.08% |
| Gene Balfour | Ontario Libertarian Party | N/A | N/A |
Hastings-Lennox and Addington
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daryl Kramp | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | 22,636 | 50.30% |
| Nate Smelle | New Democratic Party of Ontario | 14,457 | 32.12% |
| Tim Rigby | Liberal Party of Ontario | 5,173 | 11.49% |
| Sari Watson | Green Party of Ontario | 1,910 | 4.24% |
| Lonnie Herrington | Trillium Party of Ontario | 466 | 1.04% |
| Greg Scholfield | Ontario Libertarian Party | N/A | N/A |
| Grant Dewar | Independent | N/A | N/A |
