Ontario Premier Doug Ford has collected his first victory over new rival Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie.
The Progressive Conservatives cruised to two convincing victories in byelections last night in Milton and Lambton-Kent-Middlesex.
Observers and polls suggested Milton would be closer, but P-C candidate Zee Hamid won by more than 24-hundred votes, or nine percentage points.
Fellow P-C candidate Steve Pinsonneault drew 57 per cent of the vote in the Tory stronghold of Lambton-Kent-Middlesex.
Milton has been vacant since cabinet minister Parm Gill resigned in February to join the federal Conservatives.
Lambton-Kent-Middlesex was held since 2011 by Monte McNaughton, another cabinet member.
Ford says the results are a repudiation of Crombie.
Crombie is painting herself as Ford's only true opponent in the next election after the Liberals beat the Opposition N-D-P handily in both ridings.