Liberals pick up two Hamilton ridings, Marston defeated

Hamilton has elected its first Liberal MPs in almosta decade as part of a Liberal sweep set to hand Justin Trudeau a majority government.

Liberal Filomena Tassiscored a strong win in the Hamilton West-Ancaster Dundasriding, with roughly 46 per cent of the popular vote,while former Hamilton mayor Bob Bratinawon a much closer but still comfortable race inHamilton East-Stoney Creek with approximately 40 per cent of the popular vote. Tassi is thewinner in a new riding that has no incumbent, while Bratina unseated long-time NDP stalwart Wayne Marston.

I knew I could do well in this riding, I grew up in this riding.- Bob Bratina

In Hamilton Centre, NDP MP DaveChristopherson, first elected in 2004,took the riding for the fifth time. Coun. Scott Duvall retained the Hamilton Mountain seat for the NDP.

Conservative David Sweet, in Flamborough Glanbrook, will be the area's only Conservative MP. The Liberals also scored an upset winin Burlington asLiberalKarinaGouldedged out Conservative Mike Wallace, who had held the riding since 2006. Prior to that it hadbeen in Liberal hands for 13 years.

"Think of what we've accomplished," Tassisaidto her supporters in Dundas. "We went from third to first! This campaign team has been absolutely fantastic."

Red over orange

Marston's defeat bites into what has been for many yearsa solid NDP block of Hamilton support. During the PierreTrudeau, JeanChretienand Paul Martineras, Hamilton was a Liberal stronghold, with powerful localpoliticianssuch as JohnMunro,SheilaCoppsand TonyValeri. But since 2004, the Liberalshadnot elected a single member in the Hamilton area.

McMaster University political scientist Peter Graefe told CBC News there is some evidence of Canadians voting en masse to get rid of a government. "And clearly, people wanted the Liberal red over the New Democrat orange," he said.

Ted McMeekin, MPP for Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale said the overall result is about Canadians rejecting the Conservative's pandering to fears and phobias.

"You know, democracy is wonderful. People will rise up and they'll say, we've had enough. And that's what they've done from coast to coast to coast today."

Bratina celebrated in an east end restaurant, and amid a buoyant crowd, and said he had been confident for some time.

"Although we felt momentum all the way through, when Justin Trudeau started to take off, I didn't say it to anyone but my wife, but I knew we were going to be successful." he told the CBC'sSamantha Craggs.

"I knew I could do well in this riding, I grew up in this riding."

Youknow, democracy is wonderful. People will rise up and they'll say, we've had enough.- LiberalMPP Ted McMeekin

Tassi'swincame in a new riding that attracted themost attention from media and party leaders. Trudeauvisitedtwice oncewith former prime ministerJean Chretien. Mulcairvisited too. It was originally considered to be a close race between candidates for all three major parties:NDP candidate Alex Johnstone, Conservative Vincent Samuel andTassi.

ButJohnstone hurt her chances earlier in the campaign when she told a local reporter that she'd never heard of the Auschwitz concentration camp, and it became a national news story. (Johnstonevisited Auschwitzwith the Simon WiesenthalCentre for Holocaust Studies last week.)Samuelattracted criticism with a flyerhis candidates said was fear mongering. Tassiattracted questions for herstance againstabortion

Other races near Hamilton:

Haldimand-Norfolkwasconsidered a riding to watch, as projectionsshowed Conservative incumbent Diane Finley in a tough battle with Liberal Joan Mouland.

But she won comfortably with 43.9% of the popular vote.

The contest haddeep roots. Finley the widow of Conservative senatorand Harper campaign strategist Doug Finley unseated Mouland's husband, former agriculture minister Bob Speller, in 2004.

Speller ran twice more against Finley and lost. (In one election, Speller's campaignwas an early complainant intherobocalls scandal.)Finley has served in two ministerial roles under Harper.