ONTARIO — Doug Ford and his Progressive Conservatives handily retained majority government and grew their seat count to 83 in the June 2 Ontario election, up from the 76 ridings won in 2018.
Rural and agricultural areas of the province proved a stronghold for the party, building on the sweep of four years ago. With the exception of downtown Toronto ridings, the Kingston area, urban Ottawa, Sarnia and Windsor — and a few outliers in the southwest — Ontario’s entire south is a sea of blue.
Agriculture Minister Lisa Thompson easily kept Huron-Bruce in PC hands, winning Huron-Bruce with a commanding 24,369 votes — or 52% of ballots cast.
Ontario Liberal leader Steven Del Duca, installed after his party’s drubbing at the polls in 2018, failed to improve the situation for the still-devastated Grits. The party’s seat count stands at just 8, up one from 7 in the last term. Del Duca lost his own election attempt in Vaughan-Woodbridge — his former riding — failing to unseat PC incumbent Michael Tibollo.
The NDP was returned as official opposition, but with a reduced number of 31 MPPs, down from the previous 40-member bench.
NDP leader Andrea Horwath and Del Duca both announced their resignations as leaders of their respective parties on election night.
In rural Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke, PC incumbent John Yakabuski remained unparalleled in popularity, capturing 69% of votes cast there.
While moving on from controversial MPP Randy Hillier, Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston remained PC, as John Jordan won just more than 50 % of the vote. Hillier had sat as an independent MPP since 2019, following his final election win as a PC candidate in 2018. He retired this year.
Green Party leader Mike Schreiner held onto his Guelph riding to remain as his party’s sole representative in the legislature.
The turnout was dismal. At only 43%, voter turnout was the lowest ever for an Ontario election. Noted Fair Vote Canada member Cheri DiNova, only 22 % of voters picked Ford.
