Fed up with Ford’s Conservatives, poll respondents back Ontario NDP’s Monique Taylor in Hamilton East—Stoney Creek byelection

TORONTO—A new poll puts the Ontario NDP’s Monique Taylor in the lead among candidates in the Hamilton East—Stoney Creek byelection – a clear sign that support for Doug Ford and his Conservatives is crumbling in the face of Conservatives’ scandals, plans for AI data centres, and failures on health care.The poll was commissioned by CUPE Ontario and conducted by EKOS Research Associates. It questioned voters in Hamilton East—Stoney Creek on a range of topics, including voter intention in the upcoming provincial byelection on September 3.Monique Taylor led the candidates in voter intention, with 38% of respondents saying they would vote for her as the Ontario New Democrat candidate, as opposed to 34% for Conservatives’ Jeff Beattie, 20% for the Liberal candidate, and 3% for the Green candidate.

CUPE Ontario President Yolanda McClean urged residents of Hamilton East—Stoney Creek to “send a message to Doug Ford and the Conservatives and mark your ballot for Monique Taylor. She will be a strong, local voice in the legislature and serve the interests of residents, not Doug Ford’s billionaire cronies and developer friends.

“This is a tight race between Monique, a proven fighter for workers in Hamilton, and Doug Ford’s handpicked candidate Jeff Beattie. As a councillor for Ward 10, Jeff Beattie promised Hamiltonians that their voices would be heard when it came to decisions about their city. Now, he’s running to be a part of the government that’s trampling over them. Monique Taylor is a candidate of principle, experience, and a true understanding of the needs of Hamilton East—Stoney Creek residents.”

The poll also found that

• 57% of respondents disapprove of the way Premier Ford is handling his job
• 67% disapprove of the Ford government’s handling of hospital funding in Hamilton
• 84% agreed that cutting nursing positions at Hamilton hospitals will mean longer wait times and worse care

This EKOS interactive voice-response poll of 355 voting-age residents of Hamilton East—Stoney Creek was carried out between August 18 and 24; it has a 5.2% margin of error, 19 times out of 20. Data were weighted by age and gender.