The Canadian Press is projecting a majority Progressive Conservative government in Ontario, which would give Doug Ford his third majority.
The Progressive Conservatives are leading or elected in more than 75 ridings, well past the 63 seats needed to form a majority.
The New Democrats are on track to form the official Opposition again, though perhaps with a reduced seat count.
Ford said he needed an even bigger mandate to deal with four years of U.S. President Donald Trump and protect Ontario’s economy in a potential tariff war.
The threat of American tariffs was a pillar of his re-election campaign and he made two trips to Washington, D.C., as premier to push back against the proposed levies.
Ford’s Protect Ontario campaign message appears to have resonated with voters, who rejected his main rivals’ calls for change.
The NDP, Liberals and Greens have all said this election was unnecessary because Ford already had a majority mandate and accused him of forcing the vote for personal gain.
Ford made tariffs and the economy the focal point of his campaign, while Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie centred her campaign on a promise to connect every Ontarian to a family doctor, and NDP Leader Marit Stiles spoke a lot about health care and affordability.
Green Leader Mike Schreiner was the first to release a fully costed platform, with many promises on various provincial policy issues including building more housing, protecting farmland and improving affordability.
The party has held onto both Schreiner’s seat in Guelph and another in Kitchener Centre they picked up in a 2023 byelection, but also to add a third in Parry Sound-Muskoka — a seat the Greens have long had their eye on and where they came second in 2022.
Turnout was widely expected to be a concern on election day, with several weather advisories in effect in parts of the province on Thursday morning.