Bethlenfalvy back for third term as MPP

Roger Varley, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Pickering-Uxbridge MPP

Peter Bethlenfalvy

Incumbent Pickering-Uxbridge MPP Peter Bethlenfalvy was returned to office in last week's provincial election with an increased number of votes as Premier Doug Ford's Progressive Conservatives won their third straight majority.

Bethlenfalvy told the Cosmos, "I feel humbled and honoured to continue serving as MPP for Pickering-Uxbridge. I would like to thank the people of our riding who decided to elect me for a third time.

“I’m going to work tirelessly to support every one in the riding. A big priority for us is protecting the economy - we want to be there to support the community, jobs, businesses, and families in the face of the challenges ahead.

“I will continue to advocate for the communities of Uxbridge and Pickering and protect what we have built together."

According to Elections Ontario’s unofficial election results, Bethlenfalvy received 21,976 votes or 48 per cent of the ballots cast. In 2022, he had 19,208 votes, or 44 per cent. Liberal Ibrahim Daniyal once again was the runner-up, but his share of the votes increased substantially. In 2022, Daniyal was the choice of 12,345 voters in the riding, or 28 per cent: this time, his vote count jumped to 18,085 or 39 per cent. Khalid Ahmed, representing the NDP, saw his 2022 total of 6,934 votes reduced to 3,281 this time around, going from16 per cent of votes cast to seven per cent.

In 2022, Julia Rondinone ran for the Green Party and pulled in 2,226 votes, or five per cent. Last week, Mini Batra ran for the Green Party and garnered only 1,302 votes or three per cent. The remaining four candidates on the Pickering-Uxbridge ballot only earned just over two per cent of votes collectively.

Although the Conservatives were given another majority, the number of seats they hold in the legislature was reduced to 80 from 83. Also handed a reduction was the NDP. In 2022, as the official opposition, they had 31 seats: after last week's election that number was down to 27. The Liberals, however, jumped from eight seats to 14, giving them official party status again, which they lost in 2018 after 15 years in power. The Green Party held the two seats that it had in the legislature.

Voter turnout in Pickering-Uxbridge for the snap winter election was, again according to Elections Ontario, just over 46 per cent of the 99,168 registered electors (this number does not include polling day registrations).