Ontario Conservative Leader John Tory swept to victory in a byelection Thursday, gaining his first seat in the legislature.

Tory, 50, had been expected to win the race in the riding of Dufferin-Peel-Wellington-Grey northwest of Toronto, which was last held by former Conservative premier Ernie Eves.

Elections Ontario's tally of all 269 polls posted on its website just before 10 p.m. showed Tory with about 56 per cent of the votes, at 15,610.

Ontario Conservative Leader John Tory won more than half the votes in a byelection Thursday, according to Elections Ontario. (File photo)
Ontario Conservative Leader John Tory won more than half the votes in a byelection Thursday, according to Elections Ontario. (File photo)

He was followed by Bob Duncanson of the Liberal Party at 4,625 votes, then the NDP's Lynda McDougall, the Green Party's Frank de Jong and other candidates.

In his victory speech, Tory took a swipe at Liberal Premier Dalton McGuinty, whom he is expected to go head-to-head with in the 2007 election.

"You have said and I will join in you saying that a premier who doesn't keep his word is a premier who shouldn't keep his job," said Tory, referring to several campaign promises broken by McGuinty's Liberals.

Tory, a long-time party strategist and former head of Rogers Communications, had never before been elected to public office and doesn't live in the riding.

In his campaign, he promised to be a champion for rural Ontario and to try to boost the number of doctors.

Eves resigned from the seat last month to allow Tory to run.

Tory ran for mayor of Toronto last year and finished a close second to David Miller.