The NDP has won—yet again—in Niagara Centre.
With all 66 polls reporting, NDP incumbent Jeff Burch amassed 16,366 votes—just 850 more than Progressive Conservative challenger Fred Davies (15,516). All told, Burch won 39.7 per cent of the vote, compared to Davies' 37.6 per cent.
Although Doug Ford's PC party secured a second consecutive majority government within minutes of the polls closing, the riding that includes Thorold was tight until the end.
The Niagara Centre riding has been held by the NDP for nearly half a century, dating back to 1975. But with polls revealing a tight race in 2022, the Conservatives sensed a potential steal this time around.
Ford himself made a campaign visit to the riding on Tuesday afternoon.
Burch will return to Queen's Park with a smaller NDP caucus: 31 seats, compared to the 40 seats the party captured in 2018.
