Michael Thompson wins handily in Scarborough Centre despite criminal charges

Michael Thompson has been re-elected by the voters in Scarborough Centre, despite criminal charges that threatened to upend his campaign.

CP24 declared Thompson the winner in the ward at 8:32 p.m.. With 85 per cent of polls reporting Thompson appears to have secured about 55 per cent of the vote. Muhammad Ayub is currently a distant second with about 14 per cent of the vote. 

The win comes less than a month after news surfaced that Thompson was facing two counts of sexual assault in connection with an alleged incident in Muskoka in July 2022.

Following those charges, Thompson stepped down as one of John Tory’s deputy mayors and chair of Toronto's Economic and Community Development Committee.

Thompson, however, vowed to continue his work as city councillor and pressed forward with his re-election campaign.

“I have been the councillor for Scarborough Centre for 19 years. I’ve worked hard for this community and I will continue to do that,” he said in a statement provided to CP24 at the time.

The charges against Thompson have not been tested in court.

A lawyer for Thompson previously told CTV News Toronto that the longtime councillor plans to plead not guilty and will put up a “vigorous defence.”

Thompson was one of six candidates in Scarborough Centre.

He won the ward by 62 points in 2018.