The 1879 Ontario general election was the fourth general election held in the province of Ontario, Canada. It was held on June 5, 1879, to elect the 88 members of the 4th Legislative Assembly ("MLAs").

The Ontario Liberal Party, led by Oliver Mowat, won a third term in government with a larger majority in the legislature.

The Ontario Conservative Party, led by William Ralph Meredith, continued to lose seats.

Results

! colspan=2 rowspan=2 | Political party ! rowspan=2 | Party leader ! colspan=4 | MLAs ! colspan=4 | Votes |- ! Candidates !1875 !1879 !± !# ! ± !% ! ± (pp)

|style="text-align:left;"|Oliver Mowat | 81 || 50 || 57 || 7 || 119,148 || 28,339 || 48.07% || 0.52

|rowspan="2" style="text-align:left;"|William Ralph Meredith | 87 || 34 || 29 || 5 || 118,513 || 31,693 || 47.82% || 2.35

| – || 1 || – || 1 || – || 1,553 || – || 0.81

| || 2 || 2 || 2 || || 2,111 || 18 || 0.85% || 0.26

| || – || 1 || – || 1 || – || 1,125 || – || 0.59

| || 19 || – || – || – || 8,085 || 1,328 || 3.26% || 0.28 |- ! colspan="3" style="text-align:left;" | Total |189||88 ! " colspan="2"|88 ! " colspan="2"|247,857 ! " colspan="2"| 100.00% |- | colspan="7" style="text-align:left;" | Voter turnout | 247,857 | 56,891 | 63.22 | 4.06 |- | colspan="7" style="text-align:left;" | Registered electors | 392,085 | 108,229 | colspan="2"| |- | style="text-align:left;" rowspan="2" colspan="3" |Acclamations | style="text-align:left;" colspan="2" | ||1 |- | style="text-align:left;" colspan="2" | ||1

+ Seats and popular vote by party Party Seats Votes Change (pp)

Synopsis of results

+ Results by riding - 1879 Ontario general election Riding Winning party Turnout VotesNameorder is as given in EO reports 1875Party Votes Share Margin#Margin% Lib Con Total   Addington Lib Lib 1,531 50.75% 45 1.49% 66.76% 1,531 1,486 – – 3,017 Algoma Lib Lib 1,081 53.86% 155 7.72% 96.58% 1,081 926 – – 2,007 Brant North Lib Lib 990 60.37% 340 20.73% 66.80% 990 650 – – 1,640 Brant South Lib Lib 1,622 56.87% 392 13.74% 60.93% 1,622 1,230 – – 2,852 Brockville Lib Lib 1,379 52.14% 113 4.27% 60.33% 1,379 1,266 – – 2,645 Bruce North Lib Lib 1,686 56.77% 402 13.54% 63.41% 1,686 1,284 – – 2,970 Bruce South Lib Lib 2,866 50.62% 70 1.24% 72.67% 2,866 2,796 – – 5,662 Cardwell Con Lib 1,261 50.60% 30 1.20% 70.94% 1,261 1,231 – – 2,492 Carleton Con Con 2,074 79.74% 1,547 59.48% 55.47% 527 2,074 – – 2,601 Cornwall Con Libacclaimed Dufferin Con Con 1,357 55.32% 261 10.64% 58.18% – 1,357 – 1,096 2,453 Dundas Con Con 1,674 51.24% 81 2.48% 77.29% 1,593 1,674 – – 3,267 Durham East Con Con 1,292 52.33% 200 8.10% 55.58% – 1,292 – 1,177 2,469 Durham West Lib Lib 1,467 52.66% 148 5.31% 72.89% 1,467 1,319 – – 2,786 Elgin East Lib Lib 2,275 51.49% 132 2.99% 66.71% 2,275 2,143 – – 4,418 Elgin West Con Lib 1,257 50.22% 11 0.44% 70.27% 1,257 1,246 – – 2,503 Essex North Con Con 1,062 56.04% 229 12.08% 42.68% 833 1,062 – – 1,895 Essex South Con Con 1,418 52.93% 157 5.86% 74.29% 1,261 1,418 – – 2,679 Frontenac Con Con 710 45.57% 204 13.09% 55.86% 506 710 – 342 1,558 Glengarry I-Lib Con 1,331 50.78% 41 1.56% 74.31% 1,290 1,331 – – 2,621 Grenville South Lib Con 1,205 53.01% 137 6.03% 70.20% 1,068 1,205 – – 2,273 Grey East Con Con 1,294 55.70% 566 24.37% 49.64% – 1,595the incumbent Abram William Lauder was reelected – 728 2,323 Grey North Con Con 1,660 50.27% 18 0.55% 60.98% 1,642 1,660 – – 3,302 Grey South Lib Lib 1,694 61.49% 633 22.98% 73.72% 1,694 1,061 – – 2,755 Haldimand Lib Lib 1,612 51.01% 64 2.03% 76.44% 1,612 1,548 – – 3,160 Halton Lib Lib 1,765 50.46% 32 0.91% 66.63% 1,765 1,733 – – 3,498 Hamilton Lib Lib 2,240 50.70% 62 1.40% 59.07% 2,240 2,178 – – 4,418 Hastings East I-Con I-Con 1,204 51.52% 71 3.04% 67.82% – 1,133 1,204 – 2,337 Hastings North Con Con 1,081 51.35% 57 2.71% 63.27% – 1,081 – 1,024 2,105 Hastings West Con Con 1,402 56.60% 327 13.20% 68.92% 1,075 1,402 – – 2,477 Huron East Lib Lib 1,924 50.74% 56 1.48% 68.76% 1,924 1,868 – – 3,792 Huron South Lib Lib 1,893 52.21% 160 4.41% 70.75% 1,893 1,733 – – 3,626 Huron West Lib Lib 2,064 55.57% 414 11.15% 62.70% 2,064 1,650 – – 3,714 Kent East Lib Lib 1,774 54.91% 317 9.81% 58.60% 1,774 1,457 – – 3,231 Kent West Con Lib 1,343 52.69% 137 5.37% 46.87% 1,343 1,206 – – 2,549 Kingston Con Con 955 55.82% 199 11.63% 59.53% 756 955 – – 1,711 Lambton East Lib Lib 1,840 50.88% 64 1.77% 73.23% 1,840 1,776 – – 3,616 Lambton West Lib Lib 1,759 53.47% 228 6.93% 63.24% 1,759 1,531 – – 3,290 Lanark North Con Lib 1,309 56.04% 282 12.07% 73.44% 1,309 1,027 – – 2,336 Lanark South Con I-Con 907 49.64% 53 2.90% 56.60% – 854 907 66 1,827 Leeds North and Grenville North Con Con 1,084 59.53% 347 19.06% 64.90% 737 1,084 – – 1,821 Leeds South Con Con 1,362 56.92% 331 13.83% 57.41% – 1,362 – 1,031 2,393 Lennox I-Con Lib 1,231 50.20% 10 0.41% 62.71% 1,231 1,221 – – 2,452 Lincoln Lib Lib 2,222 50.79% 69 1.58% 68.25% 2,222 2,153 – – 4,375 London Con Con 1,578 58.25% 447 16.50% 55.24% 1,131 1,578 – – 2,709 Middlesex East Con Con 2,546 51.86% 183 3.73% 66.82% 2,363 2,546 – – 4,909 Middlesex North Con Lib 1,917 53.22% 232 6.44% 72.87% 1,917 1,685 – – 3,602 Middlesex West Lib Lib 1,575 50.82% 51 1.65% 69.80% 1,575 1,524 – – 3,099 Monck Lib Lib 1,486 52.64% 149 5.28% 81.42% 1,486 1,337 – – 2,823 Muskoka and Parry Sound Lib Lib 1,704 57.98% 469 15.96% 74.90% 1,704 1,235 – – 2,939 Norfolk North Lib Lib 1,490 52.12% 121 4.23% 71.55% 1,490 1,369 – – 2,859 Norfolk South Con Con 1,386 50.36% 20 0.73% 76.23% 1,366 1,386 – – 2,752 Northumberland East Lib Lib 1,887 50.64% 48 1.29% 71.32% 1,887 1,839 – – 3,726 Northumberland West Lib Lib 1,333 50.40% 21 0.79% 65.54% 1,333 1,312 – – 2,645 Ontario North Lib Lib 2,244 52.21% 190 4.42% 63.85% 2,244 2,054 – – 4,298 Ontario South Con Lib 1,721 56.24% 382 12.48% 60.59% 1,721 1,339 – – 3,060 Ottawa Lib Con 1,064 39.72% 64 2.39% 47.99% 606 1,064 – 1,009 2,679 Oxford North Lib Lib 1,731 75.10% 1,157 50.20% 41.71% 1,731 574 – – 2,305 Oxford South Lib Lib 1,775 66.73% 940 35.34% 48.33% 1,775 – – 885 2,660 Peel Lib Lib 1,519 52.69% 155 5.38% 76.09% 1,519 1,364 – – 2,883 Perth North Lib Lib 2,396 50.18% 17 0.36% 67.44% 2,396 2,379 – – 4,775 Perth South Lib Lib 1,759 55.00% 320 10.01% 65.67% 1,759 1,439 – – 3,198 Peterborough East Con Lib 1,078 53.21% 130 6.42% 65.38% 1,078 948 – – 2,026 Peterborough West Lib Con 1,130 52.68% 252 11.75% 55.99% 878 1,130 – 137 2,145 Prescott Con Con 900 47.62% 278 14.71% 58.77% 622 900 – 368 1,890 Prince Edward Lib Lib 1,894 50.47% 35 0.93% 73.78% 1,894 1,859 – – 3,753 Renfrew North Con Lib 1,066 52.56% 104 5.13% 72.07% 1,066 962 – – 2,028 Renfrew South Lib Lib 837 54.28% 132 8.56% 67.72% 837 705 – – 1,542 Russell Con Lib 696 37.30% 27 1.45% 38.86% 975 669 – 222 1,866 Simcoe East Con Lib 1,324 56.82% 318 13.65% 61.72% 1,324 1,006 – – 2,330 Simcoe South Con Conacclaimed Simcoe West Con Con 1,483 51.10% 64 2.21% 55.06% 1,419 1,483 – – 2,902 Stormont Lib Con 950 50.29% 11 0.58% 71.47% 939 950 – – 1,889 Toronto East Con Con 2,132 50.68% 57 1.35% 51.12% 2,075 2,132 – – 4,207 Toronto West Con Con 2,324 50.74% 68 1.48% 45.24% 2,256 2,324 – – 4,580 Victoria North Lib Lib 1,217 56.34% 274 12.69% 65.04% 1,217 943 – – 2,160 Victoria South Lib Lib 1,644 51.81% 115 3.62% 68.27% 1,644 1,529 – – 3,173 Waterloo North Lib Lib 1,351 53.29% 167 6.59% 71.37% 1,351 1,184 – – 2,535 Waterloo South Lib Lib 1,699 57.38% 437 14.76% 72.06% 1,699 1,262 – – 2,961 Welland Lib Con 1,966 50.97% 75 1.94% 66.49% 1,891 1,966 – – 3,857 Wellington Centre Lib Lib 1,405 65.35% 660 30.70% 50.05% 1,405 745 – – 2,150 Wellington South Lib Lib 1,430 52.15% 118 4.30% 65.83% 1,430 1,312 – – 2,742 Wellington West L-Con Lib 2,026 56.00% 434 12.00% 64.61% 2,026 1,592 – – 3,618 Wentworth North Con Lib 1,223 85.41% 1,014 70.81% 38.23% 1,223 209 – – 1,432 Wentworth South Lib Con 1,231 50.02% 1 0.04% 66.19% 1,230 1,231 – – 2,461 York East Lib Lib 1,825 53.58% 244 7.16% 58.93% 1,825 1,581 – – 3,406 York North Lib Lib 2,200 56.54% 509 13.08% 68.77% 2,200 1,691 – – 3,891 York West Lib Lib 1,268 51.21% 60 2.42% 63.16% 1,268 1,208 – – 2,476

= open seat = turnout is above provincial average = winning candidate was in previous Legislature = incumbent had switched allegiance = previously incumbent in another riding = not incumbent; was previously elected to the Legislature = incumbency arose from byelection gain = other incumbents renominated = previously an MP in the House of Commons of Canada = multiple candidates

Analysis

+ Party candidates in 2nd place Party in 1st place Party in 2nd place Total Lib Con Ind1 55 1 571 22 6 29 2 Total 22 57 7 88

+ Candidates ranked 1st to 5th place, by party Parties Accl 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th1 56 22 2 1 28 57 1 2 7 6 5 1

+ Resulting composition of the 2nd Legislative Assembly of Ontario Source PartyLibConI-ConTotalSeats retained Incumbents returned 30 17 1 48Returned by acclamation 1 1Open seats held13 3 16Ouster of incumbent changing allegiance 1 1Seats changing hands Incumbents defeated8 3 11Open seats gained4 3 1 8Byelection gains held2 1 3Total57 29 2 88

MLAs elected by region and riding Party designations are as follows:

Northern Ontario

Ottawa Valley

Saint Lawrence Valley

Central Ontario

Georgian Bay

Wentworth/Halton/Niagara

Midwestern Ontario

Southwestern Ontario

Peel/York/Ontario

See also Politics of Ontario List of Ontario political parties Premier of Ontario Leader of the Opposition (Ontario)

Notes and references Notes

References