Beaches-East York incumbent MPP Michael Prue took 46 per cent of the votes to easily win his fourth election to Queen’s Park on Thursday night.
The MPP was greeted by a group of cheering supporters at the Toronto Naval Club as they celebrated his election victory.
He took the podium and thanked a list of people, including his wife, Shirley, his campaign volunteers and others who supported him.
On election nights, Prue has been known to sport the “lucky” sweater that his wife knitted 20 years ago, when he was a municipal politician. Tonight was no exception.
“I’ve won in every election ever since,” he said. “It has brought me total luck. This sweater is just magic.”
Prue said that he came into election night feeling confident that he’d get a win.
“It was absolutely amazing walking the streets,” he said, “when you talk to people and they would come and shake my hand and say that they voted for me in the advance polls.”
He also credited the victory to the strong sense of community in Beaches-East York.
“We do it for each other,” he said. “Tonight, the people of Beaches-East York said that we are a team: all of us and all of them, together.”
Prue beat Liberal candidate Helen Burstyn by 5,000 votes. The race was slightly closer than the last provincial election, where Prue beat then-Liberal candidate Tom Teahen by 7,000 votes.
He says he will continue to tackle big-ticket issues including health care and education.