SIMCOE-GREY - Not only did Kellie Leitch ride the Blue Wave to victory, Monday night, she also set a new federal mark for support in Simcoe-Grey.

Leitch pulled in 31,784 ballots cast in her favour, nearly 1,000 more votes than what Helena Guergis received in 2008; she also pulled off the largest plurality ever seen in this riding, provincially or federally, with a margin of victory of 20,590 votes.

In 2008, Guergis had a plurality of 18,798. At the provincial level, MPP Jim Wilson was 18,847 votes ahead of his closest rival, Liberal Jamie Shortt, in the 1995 campaign (that was back when the riding was Simcoe-West), and 19,169 ahead of Liberal Norman Sandberg in 1999 (the first campaign in the riding of Simcoe-Grey).

Wilson also set a vote benchmark in that campaign, with 31,984 ballots. That was also in a three-person race, while Leitch's victory Monday night was in the largest field of candidates ever seen in this area since Confederation.

In terms of turnout in Simcoe-Grey, it was the second highest percentage turnout - and biggest turnout number-wise - since the riding was created as a result of redistribution in 1997.

Of the 97,755 individuals eligible to vote (keeping in mind that number doesn't include electors who registered on election day), 64,398 people cast a ballot, or 65.9%

The turnout in 2006 was 67.6% (with fewer votes cast - 60,737)