NDP and Liberal leaders resign as Doug Ford returned as premier with increased majority
ONTARIO—NDP incumbent Mike Mantha is returning to Queen’s Park with a commanding endorsement from the voters of Algoma-Manitoulin.
It was an evening filled with the heights of triumph and the depths of defeat as Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservative Party was returned with an increased majority, largely at the expense of the NDP. Ending pre-election speculation, NDP leader Andrea Horwath who has led her party through four elections won her own riding but has resigned as leader of the NDP. Liberal leader Steven Del Duca lost his own Vaughn riding and also resigned the leadership of his party.
Voter turnout across Ontario in this election was extremely low, looking to not even cracking the 40 percent mark.
Algoma-Manitoulin incumbent NDP candidate Mike Mantha was returned with a commanding 46 percent of the vote, followed by Progressive Conservative Cheryl Fort with 35.5 percent and Liberal Tim Vine with 8.5 percent. New Blue Party candidate Ron Koski was fourth in the polls with 5.4 percent, followed by the Green Party’s Maria Legault with 3.1 percent and Ontario Party’s Fredrick Weening with 1.6 percent.
“I am very happy to have received the support from local constituents,” said victorious NDP candidate Mike Mantha following his re-election on Thursday night. “I’m ready to get back to work.”
MPP Mantha told The Expositor, “I think one of the main reasons that I was re-elected is that I’m present in each of the communities I serve in this riding. I work hard and I’m engaged with the communities. I also think people responded to a lot of our platform issues that we raised in our party platform.”
“I’m super proud of the campaign I ran, how I conducted myself and the positive message my campaign ran,” said an upbeat Progressive Conservative Cheryl Fort. “I want to give a big shout out to everyone who came out to vote and also everyone who ran. It is important in a democracy that we have strong candidates to choose from and we had that in our riding. I’m going to continue being the mayor of Hornepayne. I’m really happy for Doug Ford and about the Conservative majority and hopefully you will see my name on the ballot in four years.”
“Obviously I’m disappointed with the results,” said Liberal Tim Vine, “but I am grateful for the conversations I had on the doorsteps. We had some very deep conversations about what our communities need. I hope we will have a government at Queen’s Park that will listen and serve the needs of the people of Algoma-Manitoulin.” For his own part, Mr. Vine said that he will be continuing to work to improve health care for people in the riding.
