But Conservative has strong showing in Don Valley West

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Surrounded by dozens of jubilant supporters at his victory party Tuesday night, Don Valley West's new MP turned his attention to the priorities he'll focus on during his early days in office.

"Making sure new Canadians have a chance in this country," said Liberal MP Rob Oliphant, a United Church minister, at the Fox and Fiddle pub on Laird Drive.

"Making sure we fight for human rights here, that we fight for human rights around the world. We have to make sure we have a safe city with a safe environment."

Given the Conservatives' ongoing dismal performance in Toronto - the party has been shut out in every riding in the last several elections - Tory candidate John Carmichael registered a strong showing at Tuesday's polls.

The car dealership owner received 19,441 votes, just shy of 39 per cent support, compared to Oliphant's showing of 22,112 votes, or 44.2 per cent.

Meanwhile, NDP candidate David Sparrow captured 5,102 votes, or 10.2 per cent, while Green candidate Georgina Wilcock received 3,155 votes, or 6.3 per cent, and Communist candidate Cathy Holliday brought up the rear with 162 votes, or 0.3 per cent.

For awhile Tuesday night, numbers being released at Carmichael's gathering in a ballroom at the old Inn on the Park hotel put the Conservative and Liberal candidates in a neck-and-neck race.

"It's close. I don't know how long it will be until we have something decisive but basically it is tied with 50 polls reporting," campaign manager Gord Moore told the crowd at about 10:30 p.m.

Even after Oliphant began to pull ahead, Carmichael held out hope he could catch up. He expected Sparrow's numbers to pick up, crossing his fingers the New Democrat had the ability to split the left-leaning vote.

Other than Holliday, who was a late entrant in the race, the candidates in Don Valley West were on the campaign trail considerably longer than contenders in other ridings.

That's because Prime Minister Stephen Harper had initially called a Sept. 22 byelection to replace outgoing MP John Godfrey, who retired in August to take over as headmaster of the Toronto French School.

When the byelection was called, University of Toronto political science professor Nelson Wiseman said Don Valley West was a riding the Conservatives were desperate to win if they wanted to both make inroads into Toronto and secure a majority government.

At Oliphant's victory party, Godfrey praised Carmichael for taking a second stab at representing the residents of Don Valley West. Carmichael lost to Godfrey in January 2006.

"He was a perfect gentleman. He's the kind of candidate that makes electioneering pleasant because he is a gentleman," Godfrey said, noting Carmichael narrowed the gap considerably between the 2006 and 2008 elections.

Godfrey beat Carmichael by about 11,00 votes two and a half years ago. On Tuesday, the spread between Oliphant and Carmichael was reduced to fewer than 2,700 votes.

Not surprisingly, Godfrey was pleased to see the riding remain in Liberal hands.

"I think the victory is gratifying in that I'm glad that I, we collectively, built a solid base," of Liberal support that resulted in Oliphant's victory.

He praised his successor's skills.

"I find (Oliphant) a really talented politician. I think it helps that he's a minister. He has a natural empathy," Godfrey said.