Status quo, with London a speck of orange in a sea of blue following Thursday election

 “If it doesn’t appear broken, why fix it?”

That’s how Kings University College Political Science Professor Jacquetta Newman summed up the results of the provincial election, which ended with a PC majority win and the NPD as the official opposition once again.

It was status quo in the London region also, where none of the four ridings changed party hands.

Newman believes that both provincially and locally, many voters simply weren’t paying attention this time around.

“After the pandemic people are very tired of things to do with crises, big issues,” explained Newman. “They just want everything to be really calm for a while. And because there was a sense the government hadn’t done badly coming through this pandemic, there was really no reason to worry about where this government was going.”

Meanwhile, there was jubilation Thursday night at London NDP camps.

“I can’t tell you how much I am honoured and excited to be resuming my role as your MPP,” said an excited Terence Kernaghan to supporters.

The NDP MPP-elect retained his seat handily in London North Centre in what many believed would be a much closer race.

NDP Peggy Sattler has been re-elected in London West, June 2, 2022. (Daryl Newcombe/CTV News London)London Fanshawe NDP MPP Teresa Armstrong was also re-elected, as was Peggy Sattler in London West.

Sattler was asked by CTV News about the prospects of her becoming the leader of the Ontario NDP now that Andrea Horwath has announced she is stepping down.

“I expect there will be a caucus meeting shortly after, and then we will find out what the next steps are as we move forward as a party and as a movement,” said Sattler.

The final election results leave the City of London proper represented by the official opposition. It’s a role the re-elected NDP members are certainly no strangers to, but it does mean they will have to continue to work harder to push their agendas forward.

Conservative Rob Flack has been elected in Elgin-Middlesex-London, June 2, 2022. (Jaden Lee-Lincoln/CTV News London)But, Newman believes it can be done effectively.

“There is hope in terms or putting forward good private members’ legislation means you get good media attention, and if you can get good media attention that creates pubic pressure to bring forward that type of policy proposal,” she said.

The mostly rural riding of Elgin-Middlesex-London remains PC, with new MPP-Elect Rob Flack stepping in after Jeff Yurek stepped down earlier this year.

“It feels fantastic, why wouldn’t it,” said Flack Thursday night. “We just won a convincing victory in the greatest riding in Ontario, Elgin-Middlesex-London.”