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Conservative Peter Kent wins re-election in Thornhill

Peter Kent was re-elected for the Tories in Thornhill


Thestar.com
Oct. 20, 2015
By Jennifer Yang

On Monday night, Thornhill was an island of blue, adrift in Toronto’s sea of red, as voters re-elected Conservative incumbent Peter Kent.

“I feel very honoured on a night when, I’ve got to say, we’re disappointed by the national results,” Kent said. “This will be my first experience as a member of parliament with the opposition.”

Peter Kent snatched Thornhill away from the Liberals in 2008 and the riding has been a Conservative stronghold ever since.

When he ran for re-election in 2011, the former broadcaster scooped up 61 per cent of the vote, handily beating his nearest challenger, Liberal candidate Karen Mock, who only mustered 24 per cent.

After two and a half years as environment minister - a stint marked by controversies - Kent was tossed from cabinet in 2013 but vowed to continue serving his constituents as a backbench MP.

Thornhill is home to Canada’s largest Jewish population - 33 per cent of households are Jewish, according to the 2011 National Household Survey - and candidate debates focused on issues like Canadian-Israel relations and Iran’s nuclear program, as well as terrorism and the economy.

During the campaign, Kent joined the long list of candidates who blundered on social media, tweeting photos of a man who reportedly went from being an ISIS fighter to a refugee claimant.

“These ‘then and now pix’ chilling reminder why prudent/detailed refugee screening essential,” he tweeted.

Kent quickly deleted the tweet and apologized after Globe and Mail columnist Tabatha Southey pointed him to an article debunking the images.

Candidates who tried to unseat Kent this election were Liberal Nancy Coldham and New Democrat Lorne Cherry, both local entrepreneurs.

Josh Rachlis, a copywriter with advertising firm Leo Burnett, ran for the Green party. Fringe candidates included Margaret Fairbairn (Seniors party) and Gene Balfour (Libertarian party).