Newmarket and Aurora residents are offering congratulations as Newmarket-Aurora MPP Dawn Gallagher Murphy was re-elected for a second term Feb. 27.
Gallagher Murphy earned 20,780 votes or 47.43 per cent of the total votes cast, a margin of 2,425 votes over second-place finisher Liberal Chris Ballard, according to Elections Ontario unofficial results. Her party also found success, with the Conservatives earning a 78-seat majority government.
In her victory speech, Gallagher Murphy said she and her party would work to address health care, affordable housing and more in the new government term ahead.
“Thank you to everyone who put their trust in me. Now, it's time to get back to work — delivering results and standing up for families, workers, and businesses as we protect Ontario,” Gallagher Murphy said in her last message of the night on Facebook.
Voter turnout was up slightly compared to the 2022 election, with 45.4 per cent turnout in 2025 compared to 43 per cent in 2022, which was the lowest on record. In Newmarket-Aurora, turnout was slightly below that average, with 44.66 per cent of voters casting a ballot.
Liberals Chris Ballard earned 41.90 per cent of the vote with 18,355 ballots, a substantial improvement for the Liberals earning 31.47 per cent of the vote in 2022.
The NDP and Green Party both earned less votes this time around in Newmarket-Aurora, with Denis Heng garnering 6.29 per cent of the vote down from 12.72 per cent in 2022, and the Green Party earning 2.5 per cent down from 5.62 per cent in 2022.
Meanwhile, the New Blue Party’s Shirin Khasbakhi earned 536 votes for 1.22 per cent and Ontario Moderate Party leader Yuri Duboisky earned 287 votes for 0.66 per cent.
Ballard said he felt the party’s local vote share increase was due to a good campaign, but they are disappointed in the final result.
“We knew it was going to be a tight race and we were hoping we could have narrowed the gap even further,” he said. “I think we ran a very strong campaign, a very credible campaign, one that appealed to a lot of folks in Newmarket-Aurora. Our campaign was focused on local issues.”
Ballard said he would be getting back to work as CEO of Passive House Canada with the race over, but it would be important to watch the new government. He said he hopes the new government does deliver positive things for Newmarket-Aurora, such as a new hospital building.
“I will, though, be paying a lot more attention to Newmarket-Aurora, what’s happening here, how we’re being treated by the provincial government,” he said. “We need to hold our MPP to account.”
Climate Action Newmarket-Aurora organized one of the only all-candidates events in the riding. Member and climate advocate Melanie Duckett-Wilson said the results are “deflating,” with local climate activists butting heads with the Conservative government over environmental-related issues over the past few years, such as Greenbelt development.
Still, she said their mission is to work with all levels of government to advance climate action, no matter which government. She said they will continue to rally and engage to advance climate action, and hope that the next government can address environmental issues like increasing clean energy.
“We know that fighting climate change is, unfortunately, not going as fast as we would like, but we know it’s also a marathon,” she said.
Meanwhile, local Conservatives continued to celebrate on social media and offer their congratulations.
“Congratulations to Dawn Gallagher Muprhy on her re-election, for winning close to half of all votes, for her hard work during the election writ,” Newmarket-Aurora Conservative Association president Blake Koehler said on social media. “More importantly, for her consistently high work ethic during the period between writs. Kudos as well to all candidates for their passion and interest in serving the constituents of Newmarket-Aurora.”
Aurora Mayor Tom Mrakas, who stopped by the campaign gatherings of Aurora-Oak Ridges-Richmond Hill MPP-elect Michael Parsa and Gallagher Murphy, also spoke about the result on social media.
“Congratulations to Premier (Doug) Ford and Aurora’s MPPs Michael Parsa and Dawn Gallagher Murphy on their re-election and third majority. I am looking forward to working with all three for the betterment of Aurora!” he said.