Ontario has returned the PC government for a second term, giving Doug Ford a stronger majority than before.
Unofficial results from Elections Ontario show Ford's Progressive Conservatives claimed a total of 83 seats - up from the 76 they won in 2018 and the 67 they had heading into this election - with Ford's entire cabinet re-elected.
The NDP are again forming the official opposition, though with a reduced seat count of 31, down from 2018's 40 or the 38 they had heading into the election - while Andrea Horwath did keep the Hamilton seat she's represented since 2004, she announced in an emotional speech to supporters that she'll be stepping down as leader as it's time for her to "pass the torch" - she's led the party through four elections, since 2009.
While the Liberals gained a seat - for a total of 8, still below the threshold for official party status - leader Steven Del Duca failed to reclaim the Toronto riding he used to representing - with the PC incumbent handily holding onto that seat - prompting Del Duca to announce he's stepping down as leader, a role he's only held since 2020, chosen just days before the first COVID-19 lockdown in the province.
Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner was re-elected in Guelph, but was unable to increase the party's seat count beyond that, while the New Blue and Ontario parties failed to win in any ridings, even those they'd held heading into the election.
Much of the North stuck with incumbents - with a few key changes.
In Sault Ste. Marie, Ross Romano of the PCs was re-elected for his second term - greatly widening his margin over NDP candidate Michele McCleave-Kennedy - with Kenora-Rainy River incumbent - and fellow cabinet minister - Greg Rickford also re-elected, along with Nipissing's Vic Fedeli, while Parry Sound-Muskoka remained blue - electing Graydon Smith - though the PC Northern caucus is growing, with two ridings going from orange to blue: Kevin Holland won in Kenora-Rainy River while Timmins Mayor George Pirie claimed Timmins, defeating New Democrat Gilles Bisson, who's represented the area since 1990.
For the NDP, Nickel Belt's France Gelinas won her fifth term while Michael Mantha (Algoma-Manitoulin) and John Vanthof (Timiskaming-Cochrane) won their fourth, Sol Mamakwa (Kiiwetinoong) and Guy Bourgoin (Mushkegowuk-James Bay) were re-elected in their ridings - which were created in 2018 - Sudbury's Jamie West held onto his seat, and Liberal stronghold Thunder Bay-Superior North went orange, electing New Democrat Lise Vaugeois in a tight race - the riding's been represented by Liberal Michael Gravelle since it was created in 1999 (he represented the Port Arthur riding from 1995-99, when it became part of Thunder Bay-Superior North), but the former cabinet minister did not run for re-election, amid a recurrence of cancer.