AITCHISON SWEEPS PS-M SEAT WITH 6,000 VOTE WIN AS NEW TORY MP

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

HUNTSVILLEA new MP, the same party and same result.

The seat of power in Parry Sound-Muskoka shifted just slightly north tonight, from Port Sydney to Huntsville, where the mayor here is now the MP-elect.

Conservative Scott Aitchison swept to power with an easy win in his first attempt at running for Parliament.

He bucked the national trend by defeating Trisha Cowie by more than 6,000 votes.

And Aitchison can thank Gord Miller for the win. The Green candidate polled a strong third place, with almost 8,000 votes; just under half the 15,716 Cowie won in her second straight defeat.

New Democrat Tom Young was fourth with 6,219.

The People’s Party candidate Michelle Smith dropped out of the race.

Independent Daniel Preddie was a distant fifth with 365 votes. (*All unofficial figures from the CBC.)

MP-elect Scott Aitchison, right, smiles as Tony Clement and Conservative campaign manager Kirsten Bake cheer his win earlier tonight. (Photos by Gord Haugh)

Aitchison told MuskokaTODAY.com in an interview, just before midnight, that he was “humbled” by the overwhelming win.

He said he was “excited” and plans to “go into town hall tomorrow and begin cleaning out my office for a move to Ottawa.”

First he will chair one final town council meeting next week, where he will resign as mayor and leave it up to deputy Mayor Karen Terziano, the interim head of government to figure the next steps for the Town of Huntsville to replace him on council.

Meanwhile, he said in aftermath of the celebration in the rotunda at Deerhurst Resort where a steady stream of well-wishers came and went across the large riding riding, that he felt his “experience as mayor” and  a “great team of volunteers” put him over the top.

He said he always “felt confident” throughout the campaign that he would succeed in his life’s dream of winning the seat tonight.

He said he was “quite proud” of the “overwhelming” volunteers who made it possible.

He said he had a “good ground team.”

Aitchison credited his opponents for running a “respectable race,” and said he’s “not sure” that the strong showing by the Greens’ Miller particularly helped him keep his distance from the Liberals.

He was introduced for a speech after the win by former Conservative/Independent MP Tony Clement.

As for next steps, when asked what he would ask his party leader Andrew Scheer to help him with first in his riding, he said he wasn’t sure he’d need his help with his first priority.

He said after he gets sworn in he plans to force the minority Liberal government to live up to its pledge for improved housing for all Canadians.

Especially those in Parry Sound-Muskoka.

He said he hopes that whatever committee he gets on that “affordable rental units” will be part of what he’ll focus on and fight the next four years.

Scott Aitchison won the race handily by 6,012 votes over his nearest rival Trisha Cowie.
Parry Sound-Muskoka’s new MP Scott Aitchison says he will step down as mayor of Huntsville at the council’s next meeting next week.

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