Split Decision as Tories Take Two By-Elections, Grits Steal One

Conservative Julian Fantino wins the Liberal stronghold of Vaughan, but the Liberals pull off an upset of their own in Winnipeg North.

Fantino’s victory is a blow to the Liberals because they’ve held Vaughan for 22 years and Toronto-area ridings are seen as vital in the Conservatives’ quest for a majority. But Liberal morale was buoyed by the fact that their candidate Tony Genco made the race much closer than expected, and that in another tight race Liberal Kevin Lamoureux wrested control of Winnipeg North from the NDP. As predicted, Conservative Robert Sopuck won easily in the Manitoba riding of Dauphin-Swan River-Marquette. By-elections are often read like tea leaves to predict the next federal election, despite the fact that they reflect only a handful of Canadians’ opinion. Voter turnout in all three ridings was less than 33 per cent.