Shock, surprise: London voters react to election results

London-area voters of all political stripes are reacting to federal election results.

CBC News spoke with local voters on Tuesday, hours after Prime Minister Mark Carney led the Liberal Party to its fourth straight election win, and after the second-place Conservatives scored a major political upset in London—Fanshawe, a longtime NDP stronghold.

The riding, orange for nearly 20 years, was flipped blue on Monday as voters elected Kurt Holman to be the riding's first-ever Conservative MP. Elsewhere, Liberals managed to hold on to London Centre and London West, re-electing Peter Fragiskatos and Arielle Kayabaga.

Several voters said they were pleased by the Liberal Party's performance nationally at the ballot box, while others expressed disappointment, saying a change in the governing party was needed.

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

"Unfortunately, it didn't go the way I voted, but that's fine. Everybody deserves their opinion and their right to vote," Braden said, adding that he hopes Carney will keep his word to build more housing and lower the cost of living.

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

"I was pleased with the results," said Tracey Bolzon, who voted for Fragiskatos in London Centre. "I think Mark Carney is the perfect person that we need right now to deal with the issues we have across the border."

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

London Morning13:56Meet four local candidates who won in the federal election

Fresh off of last night's election, London Morning spoke with four elected members of parliament from our region. Hear what Kurt Holman, Andrew Lawton, Peter Fragiskatos, and Arielle Kayabaga had to say about their wins.

London—Fanshawe voters react to Mathyssen loss

Pete Desando, an NDP supporter in London—Fanshawe, was hoping for different results. 

"Personally, I think the Liberals have had enough time to do something and look at the mess that we're in," he said. 

Desando was surprised Lindsay Mathyssen, his riding's two-term NDP incumbent, placed third behind Holman and the Liberal's Najam Naqvi, he said. Mathyssen was elected in 2019, succeeding her mother, Irene, who was elected in 2006.

"I was hoping NDP, at least, would still be there to prop us up — the common guy sort of deal."

Another NDP supporter in London—Fanshawe, Daniel White, described the NDP's loss there as "a shocker" and speculated it was "payback for Singh getting tight with Trudeau."

"I voted NDP because of my riding, I knew the Liberals were going to win, but it was a lot closer than I thought."

Mathyssen was among at least a dozen NDP incumbents who lost their seats as the party shed support to the Liberals, losing official party status, and leader Jagmeet Singh, who announced early Tuesday that he would step down.

In London—Fanshawe, some polls had suggested a possible close race between Mathyssen and Naqvi.

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

Rosa Poladian was among those who cast a strategic ballot, saying that she would normally support the NDP, citing the party's work on pharmacare, and Mathyssen and her mother's "excellent" work. She blames a split "progressive vote" for the Conservative win. 

"It was a strategic vote on my part, maybe a wasted vote, but it doesn't matter now, everyone has spoken, and they elected who they deem fit."