Bay of Quinte an easy PC win despite well-known competition

Progressive Conservative MPP Todd Smith has won for Bay of Quinte.

Smith was elected for the previous Prince Edward-Hastings riding in 2011, and re-elected in 2014.

It was thought that Robert Quaiff, a long-time councillor and current mayor of Prince Edward County, and Liberal candidate may have given Smith a run for his money, but Quaiff lost to Smith by almost 17,000 votes, coming in third.

NDP candidate Joanne Belanger — also well-known in the community for working as a chaplaincy leader at Nicholson Catholic College in Belleville — came in second with just over 16,000 votes.

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Quaiff says he plans to see out his term as mayor but hasn’t committed to running again in this falls municipal election.

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“I want to sit down with my family and I want to see what they think is best for me, what’s best for our family, and we’ll make that decision in the next couple of days.”

With a total of 76 seats the PC’s picked up 49 new seats this election, making Smith one of the more experienced conservatives that will be sitting at Queen’s Park.

When asked if he sees a cabinet position in his future under Doug Ford, Smith says he’ll serve in any way the PC leader sees fit.

“When he puts his cabinet together obviously I would love to be a part of that team. And even if I’m not I want to play an integral role in ensuring good things happen for Bay of Quinte.”

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Smith supported Christine Elliott during the PC leadership race. Appointing the Bay of Quinte politician to cabinet could be seen as an act to unite the party as it takes the helm to govern Canada’s most populated province.

There were some delays announced for polling stations in Bay of Quinte, so results came in a little slower for this riding. There are reports that someone pulled a fire alarm at a polling station, and that the delays had nothing to do with faulty polling machines.

WATCH: Candidates in new riding Bay of Quinte vie for votes

2:21 Candidates in new riding Bay of Quinte vie for votes