Thornhill Conservative candidate Peter Kent celebrates his victory with Thornhill MPP Peter Shurman.

The third time proved not to be the charm for Thornhill’s Liberal incumbent Susan Kadis.

Tory challenger Peter Kent, 65, was elected the winner just after 11 p.m. with a little less than half of the votes cast for the federal Conservative candidate.

At the time of this report early Wednesday morning, Mr. Kent had 20,581 votes, Ms Kadis sat at 17,189, followed by the NDP’s Simon Stelchick with 2,930 and Green challenger Norbert Koehl with 2,230.

“We didn’t win this time, but we will next time,” Ms Kadis said from the Paradise Banquet Hall in Vaughan.

She doesn’t believe any one factor contributed to the loss, it was a variety of things.

Thornhill will be red again, Ms Kadis said.

And she said is pleased the Liberals held the Tories to a minority government, something she felt was important.

Ms Kadis congratulated Mr. Kent on becoming the new MP for Thornhill.

Liberal supporters were tearful, while Ms Kadis said she would continue her work in the community.

Mr. Kent said during the campaign that leadership was an important issue this time around and that Prime Minister Stephen Harper was the best person to lead the country. He also said that it was important for Thornhill residents to have an MP that was on the government’s side of the House.
   Caroline Grech, Staff Writer