[1] This was considered an upset; the Tories performed extremely well in Mississauga in this election, but most observers expected that Mahoney would retain his seat.
Sampson was re-elected in the new riding of Mississauga Centre in the provincial election of 1999, defeating Liberal George Winter by over 4,000 votes.
[6][7] Sampson is a committed Neo-conservative, and supported numerous right-wing economic policy initiatives during his time in government, including the controversial privatization of Highway 407.
As Correctional Services minister, he promoted the privatization of Ontario's prison system despite warnings that this could result in decreased safety.
In the provincial election of 2003, he was defeated by Liberal Harinder Takhar by fewer than 3,000 votes, amid a general decline in support for the Tories in Mississauga.