DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard
SCUGOG: Progressive Conservative incumbent, Todd McCarthy will retain his Durham seat, after securing a decisive victory in the 2025 Ontario provincial election.
With more than 50 percent of the vote, Mr. McCarthy extended the riding’s long-standing Conservative dominance, as Durham once again backed the PCs.
Mr. McCarthy was all smiles, as he celebrated with supporters, at a victory party in Bowmanville, on Thursday evening.
“I’m honoured,” Mr. McCarthy said of the victory. “I’m so grateful to all the volunteers and all the voters, who enthusiastically embraced our campaign, my candidacy for this election, and our party’s platform, especially the number one issue of protecting Ontario and protecting Canada.”
MPP McCarthy emphasized, U.S. President Donald Trump’s continued rhetoric, about, making Canada a “51st state” as a key concern for the incoming PC government.
“I’m so thankful for Premier Ford, for leading us in a time of existential threat,” Mr. McCarthy said. “The voters have spoken, and it’s time to take that mandate and move it forward.”
Voter turnout in the riding stood at 44 percent, with, Liberal candidate, Brad Jakobsen finishing in second place with less than 30 percent of the vote.
“I’m a first-time candidate, so everything was brand new to me but, overall, it was a great experience,” Mr. Jakobsen said. He also noted, an increasing presence of American-style political divisions throughout the campaign.
“It was very, very divisive. A lot of people were either black or white, and I don’t know of too many conversations which swayed opinions or decisions,” Mr. Jakobsen said. “I think, as a Liberal candidate, there was also a lot of federal Liberal party hangover, and people didn’t really distinguish between provincial and federal, so it was tough running into that. There was quite a bit of vitriol.”
NDP candidate, Chris Borgia rounded out the top three, earning more than 14 percent of the vote.
“One conversation which stands out was with a resident who was unlikely to vote for me,” Mr. Borgia said. “He was candid about his views on the parties, both positive and negative, but as we talked, we dug into the issues which impacted him the most. Through that discussion, I think he came to see how some of his biggest concerns were actually the result of decisions made by previous governments—and the solutions may not lie in the same direction as before.” Mr. Borgia pledged to continue advocating for Durham residents, despite the election outcome.
“The work doesn’t stop today, it continues every single day, advocating for and supporting our communities,” he said. “At the end of the day, this campaign was about people, about making life better, more affordable, and more secure for families in Durham.”
Since its establishment in 1999, from the merger of Durham East and Oshawa ridings, Durham has largely been a Conservative stronghold, with the exception of Liberal Granville Anderson, who represented the riding from 2014 to 2018. With Todd McCarthy’s re-election, the trend continues, as the PCs maintain their grip for the region.
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