3 former Toronto councillors to make the jump to Queen's Park

Three former Toronto city councillorswerepoised to makethe jump from municipal to provincial politics Thursday, as Kristyn Wong-Tam, Mary-Margaret McMahon and Michael Ford were all projected to winin their respective ridings.

Wong-Tam was projected to winfor the NDP in Toronto Centre, McMahon wasaheadfor the Liberals in Beaches-East York, while Ford Premier Doug Ford's nephew was projected to winfor the Progressive Conservatives in York South-Weston.

Ford, the former Ward 1 councillor in Etobicoke, was out in front of incumbent NDP candidateFaisal Hassan, who won thewest Toronto seat by 1,165 votes in 2018with only about three and eight per cent of the vote share separating him from the PCs and Liberals, respectively.

All three parties thoughtthey hada shot of securing the riding, but thewild card wasthe name recognition of the PC candidate.

The Ford political brand carriesserious weight in that part of the city, and large parts of York South-Weston share similar demographics with Etobicoke North, where Doug Ford won with more than 50 per cent of the vote in 2018.

Wong-Tam, the former Ward 13 councillor,is poised to takethe traditionally Liberal riding of Toronto Centre, beating out Liberal candidate David Morris as her closest competitor.

McMahon, who representedBeaches-East York at city hall, was also set to beatNDP candidate Kate Dupuis in the provincial riding of the same name. The electoral district was previously represented by Rima Berns-McGownof the NDP.

New Democrats projected toretainseveral Toronto seats

Meanwhile, the NDPwas similarly projected to hold onto its ridings in other parts of Toronto, ensuring the party would keep the bulk of the gains it had made in the regionin the last election, with theparty's only real losscoming in Beaches-East York.

Doly Begumwas set to be re-elected inScarborough Southwest, while incumbentPeterTabunswas poised to winagain in Toronto-Danforth.

The NDP also held on to ParkdaleHigh Park and Davenport, whereBhutilaKarpocheandMaritStiles were set to beelected, respectively.

The battle was much tougher in TorontoSt. Paul's, where NDP incumbent Jill Andrew was projected to narrowlyovertakeDr. Nathan Stall, who resigned from the Ontario Science Advisory Table to run for the Liberals.

Former Toronto police chief Mark Saunders, meanwhile, was defeated in Don Valley West, where he was considered a star candidate for the PCs, but lost to projected winnerLiberalStephanieBowman.

Saunders stepped down as chief of Toronto police in the summer of 2020.

This allcomes as the Progressive Conservatives arecruisingto a second majority government in Ontario, the CBC News decision desk projects.

The PCs went into election day as the front-runners after a 29-day campaign that saw little movement in public opinion polls.

Ford will return to the premier's office after a term that began turbulently with a series of nepotism scandals and spanned more than two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has claimed the lives of more than 13,000 Ontarians.

The PCs spent the last four years governing with a legislative majority after winning in 76 ridings in 2018. After some MPPs defected and several more were tossed from the caucus during the COVID-19 pandemic, the party held 67 seats when the provincial parliamentdissolved in early May.

For an up-to-date list of results throughout Ontario as the results are counted, visit the CBC News election results tracker.