Toronto has a new mayor but remains sharply divided along urban-suburban lines similar to those seen in 2010’s election, early early results show. Any hope the six cities amalgamated in 1998 would form a cohesive political culture remain far from realized.
Based on early results, Doug Ford took much of Scarborough and Etobicoke, while John Tory won a large central swath of the city as well as high-income pockets of Scarborough and Etobicoke. Third-place finisher Olivia Chow won a solid block of the old city of Toronto’s west end. She did well in the NDP’s downtown stomping grounds along the downtown lakeshore.
At 60.4 per cent, turnout hit a record for the amalgamated city. The 2010 election, in which insurgent councillor Rob Ford came from behind to a surprise victory, broke a record itself with a 53 per cent turnout. Turnout before 2010 had been in the 30s.
Ontario provincial elections haven’t had a turnout over 60% since the 1995 election.
Four wards had turnout over 70 per cent. Ward 32, in the Beaches, saw 71 per cent turnout.
The divide isn’t quite as stark as it was four years ago, however:
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