Liberal Andrea Hazell wins Scarborough-Guildwood provincial byelection

Andrea Hazell won the provincial byelection in Scarborough-GuildwoodThursday, keeping the riding in Liberal hands while defeating a high-profile Progressive Conservative challengerendorsed by Ontario's premier and Toronto's former mayor.

"The Ontario Liberals are standing up for those who call Scarborough home, for working people, for families, for health care, and for education," Hazell said in a statement after the byelection was called in her favour.

Unofficial results from Elections Ontario have Hazell securing 36.5 per cent of the vote, defeating PC candidate Gary Crawford by a margin of about 1,078 votes. Crawford, a long-time Toronto city councillor who resigned his seat just before the byelection, had the backing of both Premier Doug Ford and former mayor John Tory.

The NDP's ThadshaNavaneethan came third, with some 521 votes separating her from Crawford. Overall turnout was low, with just 21.8 per cent of eligible voters in the ridingcasting ballots, according to Elections Ontario.

Scarborough-Guildwood has been a Liberal stronghold since it was created by merging parts of three ridings in 2007, and it is the party's only remaining foothold in the sprawling east Toronto suburb. Its seat had been vacantsince May, when former Liberal MPPMitzie Hunter resigned from the legislature to unsuccessfullyrun for mayor of Toronto after representing the riding for 10 years.

Hazell's win came on a night when the beleaguered Ontario Liberals also managed to flip the Ottawa-area riding ofKanata-Carleton after decades of Tory control in a separate byelection there,bringing up their caucus at Queen's Park to nine.

Thursday's wins were the first glimmers of hope for the Liberals in some time, after disastrous showings in the 2018 and 2022 provincial elections that saw the party lose, and then fail to regain, official status in the legislature. The Liberalshaveno leader at the moment, though five people are vying for the title, and severely diminished resources following theirsuccessive electoral routs.

Hazellowns a financial management firm and is president and chair of the Scarborough Business Association. She is also the chair of the Caribbean Philanthropic Council.

In an interview with CBC Radio'sMetro Morningon Friday, Hazell said the Liberal party is rebuilding and she intends to be part of its "strong voice" at Queen's Park.

"I know what it feels like to be left behind. I am going to make sure I stand up and make a big difference for our Scarborough-Guildwood riding," she said.

Hazell said that tackling the affordability crisis is among her top priorities as an MPP.

"People are concerned about the conditions they are living in, their rent, and at the end of the month they don't have enough to put food on the table," she told guest host Eli Glasner. "These are realissues in Scarborough."

Crawford congratulates Hazell

Crawford, who was serving his third term as Toronto city councillor for Ward 20ScarboroughSouthwest when he entered the race, resigned that position on Tuesday.

Following the byelection result, he issued a statement congratulatingHazelland alsothanked fellow candidates for their contributions to therace.

"I am grateful to Premier Doug Ford for the opportunity to run as part of the Ontario PC team," Crawford said.

Elections Ontario said last week that2,565voters cast their ballot through advance voting, representing around 3.6per cent of registered voters. That's down from8.8per centin the 2022 general election.

The riding saw a 38 per cent turnout in 2022 below the provincewideturnout of about 44per cent.