“If you have been following it all, you know that Ford and the (Progressive Conservatives) in Ontario have wanted to have an early election for some time,” John Shields, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Politics and Public Administration at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) said.

TORONTO — Ontario Premier Doug Ford officially set a provincial election in motion Tuesday for Feb. 27, more than a year before the next fixed election date. The election had been set for June 2026, but Ford said he needs a new mandate to deal with four years of a Donald Trump presidency in the United States.

While Premier Doug Ford insists that U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff threat is why he's calling an election 15 months ahead of schedule, there are plenty of reasons why the timing is politically advantageous to Ford and his Ontario PC Party.

Ford is taking Ontarians to the polls amid political instability in Ottawa after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently announced that he would resign.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford plans to call a snap election Wednesday, using the threat of 25 per cent tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump as a justification. Opposition parties say early election is not necessary.

Doug Ford will launch his reelection campaign in Windsor on Wednesday with remarks at 10 a.m., followed by a media availability with reporters.