The Progressive Conservatives have won a provincial byelection in eastern Ontario, retaining a seat previously held by a popular cabinet minister.
The Bay of Quinte provincial byelection today was held just one month after Todd Smith resigned the seat.
Voters have chosen to send Progressive Conservative candidate Tyler Allsopp to represent them in the legislature.
He has captured about 38 per cent of the vote, with most polls reporting, compared to about 33 per cent for Liberal candidate Sean Kelly.
Both candidates are municipal councillors in Belleville.
Smith won four successive elections in the region for the Tories, securing nearly 50 per cent of the vote in the last two elections, but some experts and polls suggested it may be a closer race this time around.
NDP candidate Amanda Robertson is trailing Allsopp and Kelly in third, with Green Party of Ontario candidate Lori Borthwick in a distant fourth.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.