It was a closer race than he may have anticipated, but in the end, unofficially, Progressive Conservative Graydon Smith will represent Parry Sound-Muskoka in Queen’s Park.
“I’ve worked very hard for those who elected me municipally over the past 16 years and I will continue to do that provincially, whether they voted for me or not,” Smith tells the MyMuskokaNow.com newsroom from the Kirrie Glen Golf Course just outside of downtown Bracebridge, where he was hosting supporters on election night.
The unofficial results are:
Graydon Smith, Progressive Conservatives Party of Ontario: 20,216 votes
Matt Richter, Green Party of Ontario: 18,102 votes
Erin Horvath, NDP: 3,391 votes
Andrew John Cocks, Ontario Party: 1,649 votes
Doug Maynard, New Blue Party of Ontario: 883 votes
Daniel Predie Jr., Independent: 155 votes
Brad Waddell, Populist Party of Ontario: 126 votes
“I’m grateful for the opportunity and humbled that people have put their support behind me to represent them,” Smith says.
Smith admitted it’s been a tough campaign, but credits his opponents for a race well fought. “My competitors did an excellent job,” he said, adding he looks forward to working with them.
Notably, he thanked Richter, who Smith says knows his party “very, very well” and did a great job representing them. “He did an excellent job and he’s a wonderful person and great candidate,” he says. Richter was running in his fifth provincial election for the Greens.
“I will be happy to chat with him, Erin [Horvath], and all the other people who had their names on the ballot to find out what they heard, what they learned, and how we can all work together to make the riding a better place,” Smith says.
Smith is taking over the reins for the riding from Norm Miller, who decided to retire late last year. While Miller represented the riding for 21 years, he only served as a member of the party in power for five years. Smith says he’s glad to be elected as part of not just the party in power, but one with a strong majority government. “[The PCs] understand rural and northern Ontario very well,” he says.
“People are looking for relief,” he adds. Smith says the first order of business for him and his party will be to make life more affordable. “[Doug Ford has] made a real commitment to the people not only in our riding but all of Ontario to make affordability a big issue and try and tackle that,” Smith says.
