Key test for Liberals in byelection

Toronto St. Paul's vote today could reveal cracks in Trudeau's stronghold

- BRENDAN KENNEDY

Three of the 84 candidates in the TorontoSt. Paul's federal byelection are, from left, Liberal Leslie Church, Conservative Don Stewart and New Democrat Amrit Parhar.

Decked out in door-knocking shorts and sneakers, and buzzing with the energy of someone who can see the finish line, Leslie Church sounded like a professional athlete spouting clichés before a big game.

“Not taking anything for granted,” she said Saturday at a farmers market following a lightly attended campaign event featuring candidates for the upcoming Toronto— St. Paul’s federal byelection. “We’re working really hard, right up until the polls close.”

Church is the Liberal candidate in the midtown riding, and the perceived front-runner in the high-stakes contest to replace former cabinet minister Carolyn Bennett.

Voters will be heading to the polls Monday in a race that has drawn significant national attention. It was once considered the safest of Liberal seats, but some political watchers believe Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives, along with local candidate Don Stewart, have a chance to flip it.

If they do, it would be the first crack in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Toronto fortress and a potential harbinger of his party’s fortunes in the next general election.

Speaking to the Star on Saturday, Church said she isn’t thinking about any broader implications of Monday’s vote.