The Liberals eked out a narrow victory and managed to hang onto this hotly contested seat.

Former Newmarket mayor Tony Van Bynen is the new MP for Newmarket-Aurora. He carried the banner for the party after single-term MP Kyle Peterson announced earlier that he would not be seeking re-election.

Former Conservative MP Lois Brown put up a tough challenge. Brown, a small business owner, represented Newmarket-Aurora for two consecutive terms, beginning in 2008.

Since the riding was created through redistribution in 2003, it has switched back and forth between being red and blue.

This election was once again considered a toss-up between the Liberals and Conservatives, even though a total of seven candidates ran.

The riding was one of six in the Greater Toronto Area in which former Conservative MPs vied for political comebacks. Brown lost the seat to the Liberals by fewer than 1,500 votes in 2015.

Brown said the rising cost of living has been top of mind among voters.

“Every day when I speak to people in Newmarket-Aurora, I hear concerns about affordability. People are continuously telling me they are tired of paying too much in taxes,” she said.

Van Bynen said the main concern he heard from voters was about climate change.

“Folks here recognize the importance of electing a member of Parliament that treats it like the crisis that it is, and a government that is committed to taking concrete steps to address it,” he said.

The riding is just north of Toronto. In addition to the towns of Newmarket and Aurora, it encompasses part of East Gwillimbury.

The riding’s largest employer is auto parts manufacturer Magna International. The seat was once held by Belinda Stronach, daughter of Magna founder Frank Stronach. She was first elected as a Conservative in 2004, but crossed the floor to the Liberals during her first of two terms in office.

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According to the 2016 Census, the median household income in Newmarket-Aurora is $98,293. That is higher than the median national household income of $70,336 and median Ontario household income of $74,287. Out of 338 federal ridings, this is the 35th wealthiest.

The population of the riding is 117,418. After English, the main languages spoken, in order, are Mandarin, Russian, Cantonese and Persian (Farsi).