Durham

The Durham riding sits in the eastern Greater Toronto Area, encompassing the northern portion of the City of Oshawa, the western half of the Municipality of Clarington—including the communities of Bowmanville and Courtice—and the entire Township of Scugog, centred on the lakeside village of Port Perry. Formerly known as Clarington–Scugog–Uxbridge before a 2004 renaming, the district blends the suburban fringe of Oshawa with rural and small-town communities to the north and east. Port Perry, on the shores of Lake Scugog, is a popular tourist destination known for its restored 19th-century main street and summer cottage culture.

The riding's character varies considerably from south to north. The Oshawa and Clarington portions are largely suburban, shaped by the automobile industry and the growth of commuter communities serving Toronto. Bowmanville, Clarington's largest community, has seen significant residential development. To the north, Scugog Township remains predominantly agricultural, with farms, forests, and the shoreline of Lake Scugog defining the landscape.

Candidates

Erin O'Toole (Conservative) Born in Montreal in 1973, O'Toole grew up in Port Perry and Bowmanville. His father, John O'Toole, served as the MPP for Durham from 1995 to 2014. O'Toole joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 1991 and studied at the Royal Military College, later serving as an air navigator and attaining the rank of captain over a 12-year military career. He graduated from the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University in 2003, then practised corporate law at Stikeman Elliott in Toronto before serving as in-house counsel for Procter & Gamble from 2006 to 2011. First elected in a 2012 by-election, O'Toole briefly served as Veterans Affairs Minister in the Harper government in 2015. He won the Conservative Party leadership in 2020, defeating Peter MacKay, and led the party into the 2021 general election.

Jonathan Giancroce (Liberal) An insurance underwriter and political science graduate of Ryerson University, Giancroce is a longtime Durham-area resident involved in community sport. He became the youngest director in the history of the Ontario Curling Association Board in 2017 and also coaches curling at Ontario Tech University and soccer locally. He ran against O'Toole in both the 2019 and 2021 elections.

Chris Cameron (NDP) A post-secondary support staff member at Durham College and Ontario Tech University, Cameron campaigned on affordability and quality of life in Durham.

Patricia Conlin (PPC) An author, international speaker, and small business owner, Conlin moved to Durham in 2005 when she and her late husband purchased a local car dealership. She is the founder of Global Consulting Group Inc., a leadership development and executive coaching firm with over 20 years of experience. She holds credentials as a registered holistic nutritionist and has written two books on health and resilience.

About the Riding

Durham held unique significance in the 2021 election as the home riding of Conservative Party leader Erin O'Toole. O'Toole had represented the riding since 2012, building a strong local base over four consecutive victories. His dual role as local MP and national party leader drew heightened attention to the riding, though his comfortable margin of support locally meant the seat itself was not considered competitive.

The riding's economy has historically been linked to the automobile industry through the GM Oshawa complex, one of Canada's largest manufacturing operations. Though the Oshawa Assembly Plant was idled in 2019, GM announced in November 2020 that it would restart production of pickup trucks at the facility, a development that promised to restore hundreds of manufacturing jobs in the region.

Bowmanville and Courtice have experienced rapid residential growth as Toronto-area commuters move eastward in search of more affordable housing. The Municipality of Clarington recorded one of Durham Region's highest growth rates in the 2021 Census—approximately 10.2%—reflecting the ongoing suburban expansion along the Highway 401 corridor. This growth brought demands for improved infrastructure, transit connections to Toronto, and expanded local services. To the north, Scugog Township faces the challenges typical of rural Ontario: an aging population, limited broadband connectivity, and reliance on agriculture and seasonal tourism.