Aurora’s ridings stay Blue as voters choose a PC government

Aurora's ridings will stay Blue after Ontario's Progressive Conservatives secured a second consecutive majority government at Queen's Park on Thursday night.

Rookie PC candidate Dawn Gallagher Murphy handily took the riding of Newmarket-Aurora and the seat set to be vacated by outgoing MPP Christine Elliott.

Ms. Gallagher Murphy was elected with 44.9 per cent of the vote, followed by Liberal candidate Dr. Sylvain Roy with 31.4 per cent, the NDP's Denis Heng with 12.8 per cent and Green Party candidate Carolina Rodriguez with 5.6 per cent.

In Aurora-Oak Ridges-Richmond Hill, Progressive Conservative incumbent Michael Parsa came out on top with 53.2 per cent of the vote, followed by Marjan Kasirlou of the Ontario Liberals with 30.7 per cent, Reza Pourzad of the NDP with 7.7 per cent, and Kevin Zheng of the Green Party with 3.9 per cent.

“It's the dawn of a new day in Newmarket-Aurora,” Ms. Gallagher Murphy told supporters at her Newmarket campaign office after the votes came in. “Tonight, families chose to elect a representative who knows our community and will champion the causes that mean the most to us. I am very honoured to be given this opportunity to serve you at Queen's Park. As I have said throughout the campaign, the Ontario PCs will get it done. I will get it done.”

Down at the Aurora Soccer Club on Industrial Parkway South, Mr. Parsa received a rockstar welcome after securing a second term in the Legislature.

“If you look at the last four years, two of which [were in] a global pandemic, we said from the beginning we will do everything we can to keep the health and safety of people and their wellbeing top of mind and that is exactly what we did the last four years,” said Mr. Parsa, touching upon investments made in healthcare, education, and long-term care. “We will continue working for our businesses [and] we will go back and continue building roads, bridges and highways.

“As difficult as the last two years [were], the future of this Province could not be brighter.”

By Brock Weir
Editor
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter