NDP leads in new condo- heavy riding

Early results showed the NDP’s Chris Glover comfortably leading in the new downtown Toronto riding of Spadina- Fort York.

With 7 of 121 polls reporting, Glover led Liberal incumbent Han Dong by almost 1,500 votes. Glover, a trustee with the Toronto TT school board for the past eight years, vowed to fight for more non- profit housing and aa the building of new schools to service the riding’s surging population.

He acknowledged getting a boost in support from voters who ww saw the NDP as the best way ww to keep Conservative lead- er Doug Ford from becoming premier. He added he also noted anger among voters who feel “betrayed” by Kathleen Wynne’s WW Liberals, particularly with ww the privatization of Hydro One.

“They want a leader with integrity,” Glover, 56, said in an interview prior to the vote count. “They want a change.”

The riding was created provincially in 2015 and was contested for the first time. It includes the southern half of the old Trinity Spadina riding, long held by the NDP until Liberal Han Dong won in 2014.

More than 115,000 people call the riding home — an increase of 33,000 since 2011, according to the 2016 Census. Most live in apartment aa buildings of more t than five storeys . The median income is $ 48,814.

The Liberal, NDP and Green candidates all ran on platforms to improve the lives of condo residents and increase affordable housing.