Doug Ford and his Conservatives have won another majority in yesterday’s election in Ontario. Ford gambled by calling a snap winter election, and it paid off with a historic win.
As the results came rolling in, Television news election desks called the Conservative majority victory less than ten minutes after the polls closed.
It was the third back-to-back majority for Doug Ford, a first in the province since 1959, who called the election saying he needed a strong mandate to deal with US president Donald Trump’s threatened tariffs.
Speaking to reporters on his way to victory celebrations, Ford said he was grateful to the people of Ontario.
“We’re going to make sure we protect the people of Ontario and protect their families and their jobs and businesses. I’ll fight tooth and nail against Donald Trump. I promise you that,” Ford said.
During the month-long campaign, Ford made several trips to Washington and appeared on American television fighting for Ontario in the face of Trump’s tariffs. Analysts within his own party said the tariffs could impact half a million jobs in the province and devastate Ontario’s economy; the auto and steel sectors could be particularly vulnerable to tariffs.
Opposition parties tried to reframe the election around health care, affordability, and housing, but in the end, Ford’s message to fight the Trump tariffs and the rhetoric of Canada becoming the fifty-first state resonated with voters.
Ford’s Conservatives needed 63 seats to form a majority; they won 80 seats to take control of the snap election. The New Democratic Party will remain the official opposition, as they came away with 27 seats. The Liberal party won more seats than in the last election, gathering 14 seats, enough to win official party status.
As for Ford, he says he will still be around in four years as premier when Donald Trump leaves office.
