Conservative Jamil Jivani Wins Federal Byelection in Durham, Ont.

Jamil Jivani, then-Ontario's Advocate for Community Opportunities, speaks as Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Then-Minister of Children, Community, and Social Services Todd Smith listen in Toronto on June 4, 2020. The Canadian Press/Rick Madonik-Pool

Conservative candidate Jamil Jivani has won the federal riding of Durham, Ont., in the March 4 byelection.

The seat was previously held by former Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole, who resigned as MP on Aug. 1, 2023.

“Dear [Prime Minister Justin Trudeau], Durham sent you a message today, Did you receive it?” Mr. Jivani said on X as early results showed him headed toward victory.

Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre congratulated the newest member of his caucus. “Together we will axe the tax, build the homes, fix the budget, and stop the crime,” he said on X.

Mr. O'Toole also congratulated Mr. Jivani on his win.

“Congratulations to [Jamil Jivani] & the Durham CPC [Conservative Party of Canada] team on his big byelection win. I know he will be a strong voice for Durham in Ottawa,” Mr. O'Toole said on X.

Mr. Jivani won with 57.4 percent of the vote, while the Liberal candidate followed with 22.5 percent, the NDP candidate with 10.4 percent, the PPC candidate with 4.4 percent, and the Green Party candidate with 2.2 percent.

Mr. Jivani is a lawyer, author, and broadcaster who graduated from Humber College and York University in Toronto and Yale Law School. He has volunteered with several organizations aimed at enhancing the lives of youth and is a cancer survivor.

He was nominated as Durham’s Conservative candidate on Aug. 20, 2023. Prior to his nomination, he was the president of the Canada Strong & Free Network, formerly known as the Manning Centre for Building Democracy, an advocacy organization in support of Canada’s conservative movement.

Representing the Liberals was Robert Rock, who is currently a councillor for the Township of Scugog, Ont.  Mr. Rock initially pursued the Conservative nomination but later chose to run for the Liberals, stating that the Conservative party no longer aligned with his values.

The NDP candidate was Chris Borgia, an electrician and union member.

The other candidates in the race were Patricia Conlin (People’s Party of Canada), Kevin MacKenzie (Green Party), Khalid Qureshi (Centrists), Pranay Gunti (Independent), Grant Abraham (United Party of Canada), and Adam Smith (Parti Rhinocéros Party).

The Durham riding has been a Conservative stronghold since 2004, having been represented by former Harper government cabinet minister Bev Oda from 2004 to 2012 and then by Mr. O'Toole until 2023.

Mr. Jivani’s win in Durham is the latest byelection victory for the Tories in the past year. On June 19, 2023, four federal byelections were held across Canada, with Arpan Khanna winning the Ontario riding of Oxford for the Conservatives and Branden Leslie winning the southern Manitoba riding of Portage-Lisgar, where Maxime Bernier, leader of the People’s Party of Canada (PPC), was trying to win his party’s first seat in Parliament. The Liberals took the other two vacant seats.

On July 24, Shuvaloy Majumdar won Calgary Heritage in a byelection victory that retained the riding for the Conservatives.

Meanwhile the Tories have been strengthening their benches with a number of high-profile media personalities and provincial politicians who have thrown their hats in the ring in preparation for an anticipated federal election.

Among the notables expected to run as Conservative candidates or vying for the party’s nomination in the next election are political columnist Sabrina Maddeaux in the Toronto-area riding of Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, filmmaker and journalist Aaron Gunn in B.C.’s North Island-Powell River riding, and Dr. Matt Strauss, who as former Haldimand Norfolk Health Unit acting medical officer of health was critical of pandemic measures, in Kitchener South—Hespeler.

A number of provincial politicians have also recently announced they will run for the Conservatives in the next election.

B.C. United Party MLA Ellis Ross is seeking the nomination in B.C.’s Skeena—Bulkley Valley, while fellow B.C. United MLA Dan Ashton said he will seek a nomination to run for the Conservatives in South Okanagan-Similkameen-West Kootenay. Ontario cabinet minister Parm Gill has left his position to run as a Tory in Milton, and former Ontario MPP and lawyer Roman Baber has won the nomination for the Conservatives in York Centre.

The federal Conservatives lead nationally now in the polls with 41 percent of the vote, marking a 16 percent lead over the Liberals, according to the polling aggregator 338Canada.