PC incumbent Donna Skelly cruised to her third term as MPP for Flamborough-Glanbrook, taking an early lead and quickly surpassing the number of votes she received in the 2022 Ontario election. Unofficial results posted on Elections Ontario at 10 p.m. put Skelly at 23,790 votes, or 49.38 per cent of the ballots cast.
The campaign was short and the result came quickly, as Doug Ford was declared the winner by 9:10 p.m., earning his third majority PC government when he returns to Queen’s Park.
Skelly first ran in 2018 following a career in broadcast journalism and a stint on Hamilton council, representing Hamilton Mountain.
Around 50 of Skelly’s friends, campaign supporters, family members and constituents gathered at the Southern Pines Golf Course Thursday night to celebrate her victory.
Skelly was at the golf course at 9 p.m., when Flamborough-Glanbrook was one of the first ridings to call its results.
Skelly said she was nervous before the results were called, despite polls favouring her up until her win.
“I was very comfortable that we would probably win, but you never know and you never take anything for granted,” she said.
The room at the golf course was buzzing with excitement as Skelly’s closest supporters continued watching election coverage.
Skelly said she is going to continue to work over the next four years to stop municipal stormwater fees from applying to agricultural properties.
“I am going to run for Speaker, but I am also interested in working with community groups, making sure that my bill on the stormwater fees goes through, because it’s a very critical bill for the agricultural community,” she said.
Second place for Liberal Joshua Bell
This time around, the Liberals placed second in Flamborough-Glanbrook, with 21-year-old candidate Joshua Bell earning 15,135 votes as of 10 p.m. on Thursday.
"A short time ago, I had a personal conversation with Donna Skelly to wish her congratulations on being re-elected as the MPP for Flamborough-Glanbrook in this year's unnecessary general election called by Doug Ford and his PC party,” Bell said in a statement emailed to media just before 9:30 p.m.
While this is not the result that many within our riding or across our communities wished for, it is the result that we have been presented with tonight following our democratic electoral processes.”
NDP candidate Lilly Noble earned 6,095 votes; Green candidate Janet Errygers got 1,923 votes and New Blue candidate Kristen Halfpenny got 1,533 votes.
In a statement texted to FlamboroughToday, Noble thanked her supporters and promised that the NDP will hold the re-elected government accountable.
"I'd like to thank everyone who helped in my campaign and all NDP voters in Flamborough-Glanbrook," she said. "Even though I didn't get the most votes, it’s clear many members of our community don’t support Doug Ford’s bad deals, schemes and corruption. So the NDP will continue to speak up for what's right and fight for more funding for healthcare, schools and affordable housing."
According to the Elections Ontario unofficial results, 48.13 per cent of Flamborough-Glanbrook’s 100,104 eligible voters cast a ballot.
