Toronto

Liberal Olympian Adam van Koeverden defeats deputy Tory leader Lisa Raitt in Milton, Ont.

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share by Email

Liberals and Conservatives competing for seats in competitive 905 area

Olympic champion kayaker Adam van Koeverden, pictured at the Pan Am Games in 2015, will represent Milton, Ont., as a Liberal MP. (Aaron Lynett/Canadian Press)

Four-time Olympic medal winner and Liberal candidate Adam van Koeverden flipped the traditionally blue riding of Milton, Ont., defeating deputy Conservative Party leader and incumbent Lisa Raitt.

The two were locked in a tight race in the riding — a critical one for both parties as they looked to win in the highly-coveted 905 area.

Van Koeverdon won with 48 per cent of the vote, edging out Raitt who took 38.5 per cent.

ADVERTISEMENT

A win in Milton by the star Liberal candidate is a historic one given the riding has traditionally voted Conservative.

"I have big shoes to fill," the Liberal told reporters Monday night, saying Raitt congratulated him on his win.

"Lisa is a good MP and we've had a couple of really good conversations over the last couple of months. I have the utmost respect for Ms. Raitt and her work. I hope that we can sit down for lunch and talk about Milton."

For her part, Raitt said she was grateful for what she was able to accomplish in the riding over the past decade or so.

"There's a lot of people who never make it into the House of Commons and I've been so privileged to be there. So it's not the win that we wanted to have this evening, but I'm amongst my friends and I'm amongst my family and everybody who's been with me in 11 years," she said.

In 2015, Raitt only won the riding by five per cent over her Liberal challenger, Azim Rizvee.

ADVERTISEMENT

More on this: