Horwath steps down as NDP leader, party holds on to Official Opposition status

After weeks of provincial party leaders working to get Ontarians’ vote, Doug Ford and the Progressive Conservatives have won a second majority on Thursday night.

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath has been re-elected to represent Hamilton Centre, but in an emotional speech, announced she is stepping down as leader of the Ontario New Democrats — this despite the party regaining Official Opposition status, leading or elected in 31 seats, the second highest number.

“Tonight it’s time for me to pass the torch, to pass the baton, to hand off the leadership of the NDP,” Horwath said that night at the NDP headquarters to a crowd cheering for her, “it makes me sad, but it makes me happy because our team is so strong right now.”

“I’m not shedding tears of sadness, I’m shedding tears of pride, look at you, look at all of you, look at what we have done together,” Horwath said.

Horwath has held a seat at Queen’s Park since a byelection in 2004 and served as leader of the New Democrats since 2009.

Horwath did not commit to continuing to lead the party if the New Democrats didn’t form government. 2022 was Horwath’s fourth run for the premier’s office after her party made gains four years ago to form official opposition.

Officials tell CityNews the pick of an interim leader will come quickly, but there’s no word of when that might be yet.

Liberal leader, Steven Del Duca, lost his own riding of Vaughan-Woodbridge, and has resigned as party leader.

The Liberals were hoping to rebuild after defeat in 2018, seeing them win just seven seats and losing official party status. Del Duca was hoping to take the seat from incumbent PC Michael Tibollo, who also defeated Del Duca in 2018.

Pollster and the president of Forum Research Lorne Boznioff said Ford has benefitted from the Liberals and NDP attacking each other. Del Duca called out Horwath during a leaders’ debate, saying he was “disappointed” that the New Democrats were attacking him rather than solely targeting the Tories, which is a focus of the Liberals.

Green leader, Mike Schreiner, has been re-elected in his riding of Guelph. The last election was historic for the Green’s, when they won their first seat ever in the province.

Schreiner used this campaign to pitch electing more Green MPPs, however, the Greens lost its best shot at a second seat in the provincial legislature because the Progressive Conservatives took Parry Sound-Muskoka. The Greens were hopeful that Matt Richter would win the seat, but Bracebridge Mayor Graydon Smith took the riding for the Tories.

Schreiner says the close race in Parry Sound-Muskoka demonstrated the growing support for the Green party, “to see a Green candidate so close, so close in a riding that has always gone blue tells you that there is Green momentum, there is a Green wave building across this province,” adding, “it’s not only in Guelph, it’s in ridings all across Ontario.”

While the Greens’ major focus has been on the environment and climate change, Schreiner has been pushing that they are more than just about one issue.

More than one million eligible Ontarians cast their ballot during the advance voting period, an increase compared to the previous election in 2018.

Elections Ontario said nearly 10 per cent of voters cast their ballot in the 10 days of advance polls, when in 2018, there was only 6.8 per cent.

In the last provincial election, just over 56 per cent voters turned out to cast a ballot.

— With files from The Canadian Press.