Little has changed at Queen’s Park after Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives and the Opposition New Democrats held on to their seats in three byelections Thursday. Progressive Conservative Jeff Beattie, a longtime Hamilton city councillor, won the riding of Hamilton East–Stoney Creek after capturing nearly 39 per cent of the vote over NDP candidate Monique Taylor’s 33 per cent. Taylor had been the provincial representative in a neighbouring riding for 14 years until she resigned to make a failed bid for a federal seat. Liberal Heino Doessing came third with 23 per cent of the vote. Conservative Susan Lahey won the riding of York–Simcoe with 49.8 per cent of the vote over Liberal Naomi Davison’s 38.8 per cent. Lahey takes over the seat of former Treasury Board president Caroline Mulroney, who resigned in June. The riding has been held by conservatives since its creation in 2007. Ford congratulated Beattie and Lahey, saying voters have backed the party that will stand up to U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs. “I just want the people of Ontario and all of Canada to know that we’re going to continue to fight,” Ford said at the Beattie campaign party in Hamilton. “We’re going to fight against Donald Trump. We’re going to make sure that we protect people’s jobs, protect their communities and protect them,” he said. Beattie said it’s “the honour of a lifetime” to now represent constituents at the provincial level. “I think primarily, as we continue to enter into uncertain times with our largest trading partner to the south, it became more and more apparent people are feeling incredible anxiety,” Beattie said. “They’re feeling some real fear. What does the future hold? And it became very, very apparent that somebody like Premier Ford is really best suited as the champion of Ontario, and I want to be the champion of Hamilton East–Stoney Creek in that same way.” In what was a two-way race in Scarborough Southwest between the Liberals and New Democrats, NDP’s Fatima Shaban emerged as the winner with more than 40 per cent of the vote. At her victory speech, Shaban promised voters that she would “fight like hell” to make their lives more affordable. “Today they spoke loud and clear that affordability is a must,” she said. “It is not an afterthought.” NDP Leader Marit Stiles also claimed victory for the party. “It is more clear than ever before in these three byelections, these historic three byelections, that there is only one party that is going to defeat Doug Ford and the conservatives, and it is the New Democratic Party,” she said at Shaban’s victory party. Candidates said long-standing provincial concerns such as health care, education and affordability came up often as they knocked on doors. But voters are also concerned about Canada’s trade war with the United States. The escalating trade tensions helped Ford in these byelections, said Peter Graefe, a political science professor at McMaster University. “Somewhat naturally, people tend to look for the leader to bring them through tough times, and I think it’s benefiting Doug Ford again in this moment, and maybe particularly in a place like Hamilton East–Stoney Creek where the steel tariffs are going to bite most directly,” Graefe said Thursday. “It’s harder than for the opposition parties to make this a referendum on other things, whether it’s urban boundary expansion in Hamilton or even the probity around things like jet planes and expense accounts.” Graefe was referring to several scandals that have swirled around Ford and his government in recent months. That includes Ford’s decision to buy a private jet for nearly $29 million, then return it days later after a public uproar. The government has also come under fire for allowing Toronto-area ministers to stay in hotels in the city on the public dime. That led to the resignation of Tourism Minister Stan Cho while several other legislators have also had to pay back the expenses. “So it’s probably a pretty good day for Doug Ford, ultimately, and his government,” Graefe said. “Maybe not surprisingly for byelections held in the middle of summer before a long weekend – they were kind of nothing burgers.” According to Elections Ontario’s unofficial byelection results, the voter turnout across all three races was just over 25 per cent. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 3, 2026. Liam Casey, The Canadian Press
