Premier Doug Ford’s ruling conservatives have triumphed in Canada’s Ontario province, winning the election which was heavily influenced by the trade tensions escalated by United States President Donald Trump.
The Progressive Conservative Party (PC Party), led by Ford, achieved their third consecutive legislative majority on Thursday. They sought the “largest mandate in Ontario history” to shield the economy of Canada’s most populous province from Trump’s tariffs.
As per the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s tally, the PC Party secured at least 74 seats in the 124-member Legislative Assembly of Ontario and were leading in seven other constituencies as of Thursday night.
Addressing CTV News after his victory, Ford, 60, stated, “We’re going to ensure the protection of the people of Ontario, their families, jobs, and businesses.” He added, “I’ll fight tooth and nail against Donald Trump.”
Ford, who wore a “Canada is Not for Sale” hat throughout his campaign and adopted the persona of Captain Canada, called for an early election. He argued that a stronger mandate was necessary to navigate potential economic challenges posed by Trump.
Ford, during his campaign, visited Washington, DC twice and made several appearances on U.S. networks such as Fox News and CNN. He lobbied against the tariffs and positioned himself as a representative for Canada as a whole.
Earlier in the week, he warned of imposing a tariff on electricity exported to the U.S if Trump went ahead with his threatened trade measures.

Ontario, surrounding Toronto and home to approximately 40 percent of Canada’s population, heavily relies on trade with the U.S.

Scotiabank analysis reveals that more than 80 percent of Ontario’s exports went to the U.S in 2023, making it the province most dependent on American consumers, after New Brunswick and Alberta.
Trump, who had agreed to a 30-day pause on tariffs against Canada and Mexico for border security negotiations, announced that the 25-percent levies would come into effect on March 4. He also hinted at the possibility of Canada becoming the 51st U.S state, citing the need to tackle the influx of illicit drugs crossing the border.