Conservative candidate Jamil Jivani clinches seat in Ontario riding

Conservative candidate Jamil Jivani celebrated his victory in the Ontario riding of Durham by thanking his allies and pouncing on his “Liberal elite” rivals, who he says are making life harder and more expensive for the working class.

Preliminary results from Elections Canada showed Jivani is poised for a seat in the House of Commons following Monday’s byelection.

Jivani, a lawyer and commentator, had secured over 55 per cent of the votes with nearly all polls reporting as of late Monday evening.

Liberal candidate Robert Rock secured the second-most votes, and NDP candidate Chris Borgia placed third.

While Durham is a Conservative stronghold, it’s one of the largest margins of victory the Tories have had in the riding in the past 20 years.

Jivani’s success comes as the Tories continue to surge in polls ahead of the governing Liberal party, and as Conservatives push a message that promises to “axe the tax, build the homes, fix the budget and stop the crime.”

In his victory speech at Chuck’s Roadhouse Bar & Grill in Courtice, Ont., Jivani said it’s his Conservative party that will best represent the values of communities in the upcoming federal election, which must happen by fall of 2025. Under Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, the party will “bring change to this country,” he said.

“When we talk about what’s happening in the country right now, I do think it is the Liberal elites betraying the working people of this country, betraying the middle class, betraying the working class,” Jivani said.

Those Liberal elites, Jivani said, include Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the Liberal party, big banks and telecommunication companies who are “driving up the cost of everything.”

He also pointed to the Ministry of Education under