A packed house of supporters at the Queen Victoria pub on Midland Avenue cheered the news of Liberal candidate Soo Wong’s victory Oct. 6 in Scarborough-Agincourt.
The win, though, means she’ll be dropping her other political job.
“I will be retiring from the Toronto District School Board,” Wong said at the victory celebration. “The voters know that I will continue to serve them in a bigger capacity and in different avenues of care and concerns.”
Although Wong was the favourite to win, there was still some hesitation among her supporters because of the controversy during the campaign surrounding her dual roles as both candidate and TDSB trustee.
In the end she won convincingly with 14,903 votes to 10,216 for her main challenger Progressive Challenger Liang Chen. New Democrat Paul Choi was a distant third with 5,019 votes.
“It’s been an amazing journey,” she told supporters. “You people inspire me, challenge me and most importantly make me believe in what I do.”
Looking ahead, Wong said the economy is a top priority.
“We will have to make some tough decisions ahead because, as you know, this is a tough economic time,” she said. “We need to have strong leadership and tough MPP’s supporting the ridings and community.”
The riding remains red as Wong moves to fill the seat formerly occupied by Liberal MPP Gerry Phillips, who was at the Queen Victoria to show his support for his successor.
“We were so lucky to persuade Soo Wong to be our candidate,” said Phillips, who held the seat for more then two decades. “She’s perfect for Scarborough-Agincourt and I’m thrilled tonight that she’s been elected.”