Richmond Hill South

Richmond Hill South is a newly named riding in York Region, created under the 2022 redistribution from the southern portion of the former Richmond Hill riding. It covers the neighbourhoods of Elgin Mills, Bayview Hill, Richvale, Langstaff, and Doncrest in the City of Richmond Hill, as well as a sliver of northern Markham east of Bayview Avenue. The riding sits at the heart of one of the Greater Toronto Area's fastest-growing suburban corridors, centred on the Highway 7 commercial strip between Bayview Avenue and Leslie Street. Immigration has been the primary driver of population growth: more than half of residents are immigrants, with Chinese Canadians forming the single largest ethnic group at roughly 29 percent, followed by Iranian, Italian, and South Asian communities. The riding's population is highly educated and predominantly middle- to upper-income.

Candidates

Vincent Ho (Conservative) is a lawyer and chartered financial analyst who grew up in Richmond Hill. Born in Mississauga to parents who immigrated from Hong Kong in the 1980s, Ho attended Richmond Hill High School before completing a Bachelor of Commerce with high distinction from the University of Toronto's Rotman Commerce program in just three years. He went on to earn a combined JD and MBA from Osgoode Hall Law School and the Schulich School of Business, and is admitted to the bar in both Ontario and New York. Before entering politics, Ho practised corporate law and was recognized in 2023 as one of the Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch for corporate law in Toronto. He served on the provincial executive of the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party beginning in 2018.

Majid Jowhari (Liberal) is the incumbent, first elected in 2015 as the first Iranian-born Canadian member of Parliament. Born in Iran, he immigrated to Canada at age 18 and earned a Bachelor of Technology in industrial engineering from Ryerson University and an MBA from the Schulich School of Business. Jowhari founded a boutique consulting firm specializing in large-scale business transformation before entering politics. In Parliament, he founded and chaired the Parliamentary Mental Health Caucus.

Ebrahim Astaraki (NDP) is a York University political science graduate who works in education and career planning. An advocate for social justice and sustainable development, Astaraki ran as a first-time federal candidate.

Alison Lam (Green Party) is a scholar and activist specializing in socio-environmental citizenship, sustainability, and social justice, with research interests in gender equity and participatory democracy.

Joshua Sideris (People's Party) also stood as a candidate.

About the Riding

Richmond Hill South's economy is shaped by its position along one of the GTA's principal commercial corridors. Highway 7 between Bayview and Leslie hosts a dense concentration of East Asian restaurants, shops, and professional offices that developed rapidly during the 1990s as Hong Kong immigrants established businesses in suburban-style plazas like Times Square. The area has since matured into a vibrant multicultural commercial district. The riding is well connected by transit: the Yonge subway extension to the Richmond Hill Centre terminal and GO Transit's Richmond Hill line link commuters to downtown Toronto.

Housing affordability was a dominant issue in 2025. Average home prices in Richmond Hill exceeded one million dollars, putting ownership out of reach for many younger families despite relatively high household incomes. The cost of living more broadly -- groceries, child care, and property taxes -- weighed on residents across the riding's diverse communities. Immigration policy also featured prominently, given that the riding's character is inseparable from successive waves of newcomers from East Asia, Iran, and South Asia.

The 2025 race reflected a broader Conservative surge across York Region. Ho's challenge to long-time incumbent Jowhari was part of a wave that saw Conservatives win all but two seats in the region, driven by voter frustration over affordability and a desire for change after a decade of Liberal representation.