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.
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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.
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The divide isn’t quite as stark as it was four years ago, however:
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