Harris’s father, Mike Harris Sr., was premier of Ontario from 1995 until 2002.
Harris Jr. was appointed as the candidate in the riding by party Leader Doug Ford on April 21, replacing Tory incumbent Michael Harris. Michael Harris initially announced he would step down for health reasons but was later cut loose by the party on April 21 amid a texting scandal.
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The Michael Harris scandal broke just days after the former premier’s son was handily defeated in the PC nomination vote in the neighbouring Waterloo riding.
Harris Jr. was backed by some Conservative heavy-hitters as his father held a private fundraising dinner for him in Toronto on May 28. The keynote speaker at the $1,222-a-plate dinner was former prime minister Stephen Harper.
Harris Jr. was the only man to win a seat in the Waterloo region.
NDP candidate Laura Mae Lindo came out on top in Kitchener-Centre where she unseated incumbent Liberal Daiene Vernile and PC candidate Mary Henein Thorn.READ MORE: Belinda Karahalios returns PCs to power in heavily-eyed Cambridge ridingIn Waterloo, NDP incumbent Catherine Fife held on to her seat holding off challenges from Dan Weber of the Progressive Conservative Party and Liberal Dorothy McCabe.Belinda Karahalios won the Cambridge seat in the Ontario election for the Progressive Conservative Party, unseating Liberal incumbent Kathryn McGarry while also holding off NDP candidate Marjorie-Ann Knight.In Kitchener-Hespeler, Conservative Amy Fee topped Liberal Surekha Shenoy and the NDP’s Fitzroy Vanderpool.