Premier Doug Ford has announced his plan to call an early provincial election next week, setting the stage for Ontarians to go to the polls by the end of February.
Ford said he will meet with the lieutenant governor on Jan. 28 and the election will be called the following day. The move will send Ontarians to the polls on Feb. 27, well before the fixed election date of June 2026.
The premier cited U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat of a potential 25 percent tariff on all Canadian exports as his motivation to call a snap election.
“We need a mandate from the people to fight against Donald Trump’s tariffs. He’s coming against our families, our businesses, our communities,” Ford said during an unrelated Jan. 24 press conference in Brampton, Ont.
Ford currently has a majority government, holding 79 out of 124 seats at Queen’s Park, but said he wants an even bigger mandate when representing Ontario during a potential tariff war with the United States.
“We need the largest mandate in Ontario’s history to move this province forward,” he said.
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“When you have a strong mandate in politics, and you have a strong mandate from the people for the next four years to last over the four years of the Trump administration, I can tell you, the opposition treats you with a little more respect, as opposed to being vulnerable.”
Ford pledged to do double-duty over the next month by fulfilling his duties as premier while also campaigning as leader of the Progressive Conservatives.
He also confirmed his plans to travel to Washington, D.C., twice next month to advocate to U.S. lawmakers against the imposition of tariffs.
Trump has been threatening Canada with tariffs since November 2024. He had suggested he would slap the tax on the country’s goods on Jan. 20, his first day in office, but did not follow through. Trump told reporters he is considering enacting tariffs against Canada and Mexico on Feb. 1 instead.
Trump has said both countries need to tighten border security to stem the flow of illegal migrants and drugs into the United States.
Ford has said he anticipates Trump’s promised 25 percent tariffs will hit Ontario industry hard, especially the automotive sector. He said Ontario could see a loss of more than 500,000 jobs if Trump proceeds with his tariff threat.
The premier has previously said he may need to allocate tens of billions of dollars to address the impacts of the tariffs in Ontario. He hinted at the idea of calling a snap election earlier this week, saying he wanted to present that kind of stimulus expenditure to voters.
