# Mike Sullivan (Canadian politician)

Michael D. Sullivan (born November 9, 1952) is a former Canadian politician. He was a New Democratic member of the House of Commons of Canada from 2011 to 2015 who was elected to represent the Toronto riding of York South—Weston.

## Background

Born in Detroit, Michigan, Sullivan grew up in Windsor, Ontario. He graduated from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1973. From February 1974 to November 1984, he worked for Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) where he was radio master control operator. From 1984 until his election to the House of Commons in 2011, Sullivan was a national representative for the National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians (NABET) and later the Communications Energy and Paperworkers (CEP), where he worked with CBC as well as Sun Media and Torstar newspapers.

## Politics

Sullivan first ran for the NDP in York South—Weston in the 2008 federal election. He lost to Liberal incumbent Alan Tonks by 6,430 votes. He ran again in 2011, this time defeating Tonks by 2,580 votes.
He served as the NDP's Deputy Critic for Housing and Disability Issues in the 41st Canadian Parliament. In the 2015 election, Sullivan lost his seat to Liberal candidate Ahmed Hussen by 7,622 votes.
After losing his seat, he endorsed Charlie Angus in the 2017 New Democratic Party leadership election.

## Electoral record

2015 Canadian federal election: York South—Weston :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures |
| | Liberal | Ahmed Hussen | 20,093 | 46.0 | +13.2 | – |
| | New Democratic | Mike Sullivan | 13,281 | 30.4 | -9.7 | – |
| | Conservative | James Robinson | 8,399 | 19.2 | -5.1 | – |
| | Libertarian | Stephen Lepone | 1,041 | 2.4 | – | – |
| | Green | John Johnson | 892 | 2.0 | -0.8 | – |
| Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | 43,706 | 100.0 | | $203,157.28 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 362 | 0.82 | +0.02 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 44,068 | 62.63 | +9.53 |
| Eligible voters | Eligible voters | Eligible voters | 70,361 |
| | Liberal gain from New Democratic | Liberal gain from New Democratic | Swing | Swing | +11.45 |
| Source: Elections Canada |||||||
2011 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures |
| | New Democratic | Mike Sullivan | 14,122 | 40.1 | +12.1 | – |
| | Liberal | Alan Tonks | 11,542 | 32.8 | -13.8 | – |
| | Conservative | Jilian Saweczko | 8,559 | 24.3 | +3.9 | – |
| | Green | Sonny Day | 975 | 2.8 | -2.3 | – |
| Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | 35,198 | 100.0 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 288 | 0.8 | +0.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 35,486 | 53.10 | +2.4 |
| Eligible voters | Eligible voters | Eligible voters | 66,807 | – | – |
| | New Democratic gain from Liberal | New Democratic gain from Liberal | Swing | Swing | +12.95 |
2008 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures |
| | Liberal | Alan Tonks | 16,071 | 46.6 | -10.5 | $48,748 |
| | New Democratic | Mike Sullivan | 9,641 | 28.0 | +6.7 | $46,118 |
| | Conservative | Aydin Cocelli | 7,021 | 20.4 | +3.0 | $27,300 |
| | Green | Andre Papadimitriou | 1,757 | 5.1 | +1.3 | $2,977 |
| Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | 34,490 | 100.0 | $80,783 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 241 | 0.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 34,731 | 50.7 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | Swing | -8.6 |