Voters painted Scarborough red again on Oct. 6, with all six ridings remaining in Liberal hands.
Scarborough-Guildwood was expected to be a tight race between MPP Maragrett Best and PC candidate Gary Elis, a former police superintendent in 42 and 43 Divisions. The results, though, told a different story.
Best won with nearly 50 per cent of the vote, comfortably retaining her seat at Queen’s Park for a second term.
Scarborough-Southwest PC candidate Mike Chopowick lost his bid, finishing third behind victorious incumbent Liberal Lorenzo Berardinetti and NDP candidate Bruce Budd. Berardinetti scooped 44 per cent of the vote while Chopowick received about 21 per cent. Second-place finisher Budd got just over 31 per cent of the vote.
Liberal incumbent Brad Duguid in Scarborough Centre won most comfortably in Scarborough, receiving more than 51 per cent of the vote, beating PC contender Carol Williams, who finished with about 24 per cent of ballots cast.
In Scarborough-Agincourt, a riding without an incumbent in the race, Liberal contender Soo Wong beat Liang Chen of the Progressive Conservative Party, her nearest rival.
As the first few dozen polls came in in early vote counting, the two candidates were neck and neck. But as the night progressed, Wong’s lead grew. She finished with nearly 47 per cent of the vote, topping Chen’s 32 per cent.
Prior to the election, Wong’s candidacy was clouded in controversy after questions were raised about her keeping her job as a Toronto District School Board trustee while campaigning for provincial office.
In Scarborough-Rouge River, Liberal incumbent Bas Balkissoon, who won in the 2007 election by more than 17,000 votes, edged out Neethan Shan of the NDP by just over 2,000. Balkissoon finished with nearly 42 per cent of the vote, besting Shan’s 36 per cent.
Pickering-Scarborough East, projected to be wide open heading into election night, was easily seized by Liberal candidate Tracy MacCharles. PC Kevin Gaudet finished 5,000 votes behind MacCharles, who ended the night with almost half of ballots cast.