Andrea Hazell, the Jamaica-born president of the Scarborough Business Association, won the provincial byelection in Scarborough-Guildwood last Thursday, keeping the riding in Liberal hands.

Hazell who is also the chair of the Caribbean Philanthropic Council, won with 5,640 votes while former Toronto City Councillor Gary Crawford, the Progressive Conservative candidate, was second with 4,562 votes.

NDP candidate Thadsha Navaneethan with 4,041 votes was third.

Mitzie Hunter, the Liberal MPP who represented the riding from 2013-2023, resigned from the Ontario Legislature last May to run as a candidate for mayor of Toronto in last month’s byelection won by former Toronto City Councillor Olivia Chow.

Hazell told The Caribbean Camera that she plans to fight the Conservatives’ plan ” to privatize health care.”

She also said she plans to “make life more affordable” for residents of the city.

The Liberals have a total of nine seats in Queen’s Park. The Progressive Conservatives hold the majority of seats with 81 and the NDP, the official Opposition, has 29 seats.

Scarborough-Guildwood has been a Liberal riding since it was created by merging parts of three ridings in 2007.