The riding of Davenport has been reclaimed by the Liberals after one term of NDP leadership, as Julie Dzerowicz defeated incumbent Andrew Cash by a narrow margin.
With 155 of 192 polls reporting, Dzerowicz was victorious, taking 45.1 per cent of the votes, ahead of Cash at 40.2 per cent – a difference of about 1,800 votes.
The riding of Davenport throughout its history has been predominately Liberal, with the party winning 20 consecutive elections from 1949-2011 until Cash defeated then-incumbent Mario Silva.
“We worked super hard on this riding and we actually accomplished a ton of things and I think largely people have been really appreciative of that and it’s been a total honour to be a member of parliament here in Davenport,” Cash said.
The crowd chanted “Andrew” when Cash entered the Lula Lounge stage at about 12:30 a.m. Cash expressed gratitude to his supporters and listed his accomplishments.
“Many of you in this campaign put your lives on hold. I know people paused certain things in their lives, graduate studies got put on hold, job searches got put on hold and I just want to thank you. Thank you for having that commitment,” Cash said.
“This was a long, long campaign and there was not one day that I walked into that ramshackled office on Bloor Street and wasn’t feeling pumped just by looking at the people that were working at that office.”
Former Davenport city council candidate Alejandra Bravo and city councillor Mike Layton attended Cash’s speech and stood behind him chatting with supporters.
“Andrew Cash has been a champion for precarious workers, for a reliable clean transit and for fair immigration amongst so many accomplishments. This election was really about a change election,” Bravo said.
“I think tonight shows more than any other night that we need electoral reform so that people can vote their conscience and their values and get the representation they actually seek.”
Cash concluded his speech by saying, “Politics isn’t just about elections. Politics is about showing up. Politics is about standing up and speaking up for people that don’t have a voice in this society. That’s what politics is about and I want you to know I’ll never stop doing that.”