Shock, surprise: London voters react to election results

Matthew Trevithick · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 29, 2025 4:48 PM EDT | Last Updated: 3 minutes ago

London-area voters of each governmental stripes are reacting to national predetermination results.

CBC News spoke with section voters connected Tuesday, hours aft Prime Minister Mark Carney led the Liberal Party to its 4th consecutive predetermination win, and aft the second-place Conservatives scored a large governmental upset successful London—Fanshawe, a longtime NDP stronghold.

The riding, orangish for astir 20 years, was flipped bluish connected Monday arsenic voters elected Kurt Holman to beryllium the riding's first-ever Conservative MP. Elsewhere, Liberals managed to clasp connected to London Centre and London West, re-electing Peter Fragiskatos and Arielle Kayabaga.

Several voters said they were pleased by the Liberal Party's show nationally astatine the ballot box, portion others expressed disappointment, saying a alteration successful the governing enactment was needed.

"I thought aft 10 years of the Liberals that Canadians were looking for a change," said Ryan Braden, who supported Andrew Lawton, the newly-elected Conservative MP successful Elgin—St. Thomas—London South. 

"Unfortunately, it didn't spell the mode I voted, but that's fine. Everybody deserves their sentiment and their close to vote," Braden said, adding that helium hopes Carney volition support his connection to physique much lodging and little the outgo of living.

While Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre boosted the Tory vote-share to a generational high, helium failed to support the Liberals from government and from his ain seat. 

"I was pleased with the results," said Tracey Bolzon, who voted for Fragiskatos successful London Centre. "I deliberation Mark Carney is the cleanable idiosyncratic that we request close present to woody with the issues we person crossed the border."

LISTEN: Meet four London-area MPs heading to the House of Commons

London—Fanshawe voters respond to Mathyssen loss

Pete Desando, an NDP protagonist successful London—Fanshawe, was hoping for antithetic results. 

"Personally, I deliberation the Liberals person had capable clip to bash thing and look astatine the messiness that we're in," helium said. 

He was amazed Lindsay Mathyssen, his riding's two-term NDP incumbent, placed 3rd down Holman and the Liberal's Najam Naqvi. Mathyssen was elected successful 2019, succeeding her mother, Irene, who was elected successful 2006, helium said. 

"I was hoping NDP, astatine least, would inactive beryllium determination to prop america up — the communal feline benignant of deal."

Another NDP protagonist successful London—Fanshawe, Daniel White, described the NDP's nonaccomplishment determination arsenic "a shocker" and speculated it was "payback for Singh getting choky with Trudeau."

"I voted NDP due to the fact that of my riding, I knew the Liberals were going to win, but it was a batch person than I thought."

Mathyssen was among astatine slightest a twelve NDP incumbents who mislaid their seats arsenic the enactment shed enactment to the Liberals, losing authoritative enactment status, and person Jagmeet Singh, who announced aboriginal Tuesday that helium would measurement down.

In London—Fanshawe, immoderate polls had suggested a imaginable adjacent contention betwixt Mathyssen and Naqvi.

Mathyssen told Radio-Canada annexation and tariff threats from U.S. President Donald Trump caused immoderate supporters to ballot strategically for Naqvi instead, allowing the Conservatives to "come up the middle."

Rosa Poladian was among those who formed a strategical ballot, saying that she would usually enactment the NDP, citing the party's enactment connected pharmacare, and Mathyssen and her mother's "excellent" work. She blames the progressive ballot was divided for the win. 

"It was a strategical ballot connected my part, possibly a wasted vote, but it doesn't substance now, everyone has spoken, and they elected who they deem fit."