OTTAWA: Premier Doug Ford and his Progressive Conservative Party retained their majority in today’s Ontario provincial election despite holding a snap and expensive election. Ford spent $189 million to gain just one additional seat, raising questions about the wisdom of the move.
The election was not a referendum on Ford’s policies, but rather a political struggle against the economic threats posed by Donald Trump. Despite this, the changes in the composition of Parliament were minimal: the Progressive Conservatives won 80 seats, the NDP 27, the Liberals 14, and the Green Party two.
The campaign was a tough test for all parties. The NDP held on to its status as the Official Opposition, although it lost four seats compared to the last election. The Liberals, led by Bonnie Crombie, have managed to rebound, winning 14 seats and official party status, which will allow them to receive funding to continue their recovery. However, Crombie lost her seat, putting her future as party leader in jeopardy.
In Ottawa, voters re-elected almost all of the incumbents, including Liberals Lucille Collard and Stephen Blais, and Conservative Stéphane Sarrazin. New Conservative candidate George Daruze won the Carleton riding, which could give Ottawa representation in a Ford government.
Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe said he hoped Daruze would be a strong voice for Ottawa in Parliament, despite his lack of provincial experience. Ford, in his victory speech, reiterated his pledge to improve Ottawa's transit system, which could improve his chances of winning a stronger mandate in the future.
An important aspect of the election was that, contrary to expectations, many issues that matter to voters, such as the health crisis and housing, did not become key campaign agendas. Instead, discussions focused on international politics and foreign economic threats from the United States.
Thus, Ontario's election was an expensive but largely status quo affair, highlighting the stability and little change in the province's political landscape.
Link to election results:
https://ottawacitizen.com/news/ontario-election-2025-ottawa-results-by-the-numbers