# Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario The Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario, also known as the Ontario PC Party, is a political party in the Canadian province of Ontario and the province's governing party under Premier Doug Ford, who has led it to a third term.[1](https://static.ontariopc.ca/uploads/2021/04/PC_Party_Constitution_18-11-18-1-1.pdf) • [2](https://apnews.com/article/d81f6b94cfbd3ad038362432cd8c3c53) It holds 79 of the 124 seats in the [Legislative Assembly of Ontario](https://www.edgepedia.org/legislative-assembly-of-ontario), where it forms a majority government.[3](https://www.ola.org/en/members/current) | Key fact | Detail | |---|---| | Official name | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario, also known as the "Ontario PC Party"[1](https://static.ontariopc.ca/uploads/2021/04/PC_Party_Constitution_18-11-18-1-1.pdf) | | Legislative position | Governing party; 79 of 124 seats in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario[3](https://www.ola.org/en/members/current) | | Leader | Doug Ford, MPP for Etobicoke North; the 2025 election gave him a third term as premier[3](https://www.ola.org/en/members/current) • [2](https://apnews.com/article/d81f6b94cfbd3ad038362432cd8c3c53) | | 2025 election result | 82 seats, a majority (63 seats needed), against 25 for the New Democratic Party, 14 for the Liberals, 2 for the Greens, and 1 independent[2](https://apnews.com/article/d81f6b94cfbd3ad038362432cd8c3c53) | | Longest run in office | The party's 42-year hold on power ended with the 1985 election[4](https://www.thewrit.ca/p/everyelectionproject-ontario?s=w) | | 1995 return | Elected after 10 years of Liberal-NDP rule, on a commitment to make Ontario a fiscal and economic leader again[5](https://static.ontariopc.ca/uploads/2023/12/MembersManual2024.pdf) | | Governing context | Ontario has a population of around 16 million, the most of any Canadian province, and an economy making up 38% of Canadian GDP[2](https://apnews.com/article/d81f6b94cfbd3ad038362432cd8c3c53) | ## Name and identity The party's constitution defines the Party as the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario, "also known as the 'Ontario PC Party'", and distinguishes it from the [Conservative Party of Canada](https://www.edgepedia.org/conservative-party-of-canada), formed on December 8, 2003.[1](https://static.ontariopc.ca/uploads/2021/04/PC_Party_Constitution_18-11-18-1-1.pdf) The constitution defines "conservative-minded parties" as political parties that share the Party's policies and its aims and principles as described in its second article, and sets out the party's core bodies: the Ontario Progressive Conservative Campus Association (OPCCA) for campus organizing, the Caucus of Progressive Conservative Members of the [Legislature](https://www.edgepedia.org/legislature), and the PC Ontario Fund (PCOF) for fundraising.[1](https://static.ontariopc.ca/uploads/2021/04/PC_Party_Constitution_18-11-18-1-1.pdf) ## The long governing era, ending in 1985 The party's hold on power in Ontario lasted 42 years and ended with the 1985 election.[4](https://www.thewrit.ca/p/everyelectionproject-ontario?s=w) The PCs faltered somewhat in two elections in the 1970s, winning only minority governments, but the operation known as the "Big Blue Machine" remained a formidable electoral organization into 1985.[4](https://www.thewrit.ca/p/everyelectionproject-ontario?s=w) **The 1985 leadership convention.** [Frank Miller](https://www.edgepedia.org/frank-miller) won the leadership as a right-winger, beating several moderate candidates whose pitch had been to continue Davis's successful running of the party in the center of Ontario's political spectrum.[4](https://www.thewrit.ca/p/everyelectionproject-ontario?s=w) With polls showing PC support at 55% and the opposition Liberals and New Democrats tied in second at 21% each, Miller waited less than two months after his swearing-in to call an election.[4](https://www.thewrit.ca/p/everyelectionproject-ontario?s=w) The campaign did not sustain that position; opponents framed Miller's platform as looking backward, with one stump-speech line quoted as "Frank Miller is fighting for Frank Miller's Ontario, a dusty dream of some 20 years ago."[4](https://www.thewrit.ca/p/everyelectionproject-ontario?s=w) The 1985 election ended the party's long hold on power.[4](https://www.thewrit.ca/p/everyelectionproject-ontario?s=w) ## Return to office in 1995 After 10 years of Liberal-NDP rule, the PC Party of Ontario was elected in 1995 on its commitment to make Ontario a fiscal and economic leader again. The party's own members' manual presents the province's subsequent management of its debt and economy, relative to other jurisdictions globally, as evidence of that leadership.[5](https://static.ontariopc.ca/uploads/2023/12/MembersManual2024.pdf) ## The Ford government and the 2025 election **Snap election call.** On January 29, 2025, [Doug Ford](https://www.edgepedia.org/doug-ford), leader of the Progressive Conservative Party, triggered a snap election, saying he needed a strong four-year mandate to fight the 25% tariffs threatened by U.S. President Donald Trump, which he said would devastate [Canada's economy](https://www.edgepedia.org/economy-of-canada) and cost Ontario thousands of jobs.[6](https://apnews.com/article/fa805c1209f09b84840d47857f869469) At the time of the call the PCs held 79 of the 124 seats in the legislature, and the vote was set for February 27, more than a year before the June 2026 fixed election date.[6](https://apnews.com/article/fa805c1209f09b84840d47857f869469) **The result.** Unofficial results from Elections Ontario showed the Progressive Conservatives winning 82 seats, with the [New Democratic Party](https://www.edgepedia.org/new-democratic-party) at 25, the Liberals at 14, the Greens at 2, and one independent; a majority government requires at least 63 seats. The result gave Ford his third term as premier.[2](https://apnews.com/article/d81f6b94cfbd3ad038362432cd8c3c53) Ford campaigned on resisting the tariff threats, telling supporters "Canada will never, ever be the 51st state. Canada is not for sale."[2](https://apnews.com/article/d81f6b94cfbd3ad038362432cd8c3c53) Opposition parties accused Ford of calling the election early before any potential charges could emerge from a police investigation into his now-scrapped plan to develop lands under environmental protection, and said the cost of the election could have been better spent on health care and affordable housing.[2](https://apnews.com/article/d81f6b94cfbd3ad038362432cd8c3c53) According to Jonathan Malloy, who studies political science at Ottawa's Carleton University, the threats of tariffs handed Ford a justification to trigger an early vote, and the appearance of confronting them brought him a political benefit.[2](https://apnews.com/article/d81f6b94cfbd3ad038362432cd8c3c53) In the legislature that resulted, the New Democratic Party under Marit Stiles serves as the official opposition and the [Ontario Liberal Party](https://www.edgepedia.org/ontario-liberal-party) under John Fraser as leader of the third party; Liberal leader [Bonnie Crombie](https://www.edgepedia.org/bonnie-crombie) failed to be reelected in the 2025 vote.[2](https://apnews.com/article/d81f6b94cfbd3ad038362432cd8c3c53) • [7](https://www.ola.org/en/members/current/composite-list) Current standings list 79 PC seats, 27 NDP, 14 Liberal, 2 Green, and 2 independents.[3](https://www.ola.org/en/members/current) ## Standing since the 2025 election Voting-intention polling after the election has shown a more competitive field than the seat count suggests. An Innovative Research poll fielded March 29, 2026 put the PCs at 48%, up six points from that pollster's February 2025 reading, with the Liberals at 30% and the NDP at 16%.[8](https://www.338canada.com/ontario/20260329-inn.htm) By mid-2026 the picture had shifted: a Mainstreet Research poll with a middle field date of May 6, 2026 recorded the PCs at 35%, down 13 points from Mainstreet's September 2025 reading, with the Liberals at 31% and the NDP at 24%.[9](https://www.338canada.com/ontario/20260506-mai.htm) A Liaison Strategies tracker released June 19, 2026 placed the Liberals ahead at 38% to 35% for the PCs, with Ford's approval at its lowest point in that tracker.[10](https://www.liaison.ca/polls/ontario-liberals-lead-pcs-by-3-as-ford-approval-hits-26) A July 2026 Liaison poll had the Liberals stable at 38%, the PCs down two points at 33%, and the NDP up two at 24%.[11](https://338canada.com/ontario/20260721-lia.htm) **Abacus tracking.** An Abacus Data wave in the same period found the PCs and Liberals statistically tied among committed voters, at 37% and 36% respectively, with the NDP down four points to 17% and Ford's approval declining.[12](https://abacusdata.ca/ontario-pcs-and-liberals-statistically-tied-as-fords-approval-declines-and-political-environment-tightens-further/) A later Liaison tracker in September 2026 had the PCs back in front at 40% to 34% over the Liberals.[13](https://press.liaisonstrategies.ca/ontario-pcs-lead-liberals-40-to-34-leadership-preferences-shift/) An aggregate of seven public polls fielded between July 1 and September 29, 2026 put the field averages at PC 36.7%, Liberal 31.3%, NDP 23.3%, and Green 3.3%.[14](https://emrysgraefe.ca/polls/ontario) ## References 1. [Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario, Party Constitution](https://static.ontariopc.ca/uploads/2021/04/PC_Party_Constitution_18-11-18-1-1.pdf) 2. [Doug Ford reelected as Ontario's premier with mandate to fight Trump tariffs, Associated Press (February 2025)](https://apnews.com/article/d81f6b94cfbd3ad038362432cd8c3c53) 3. [Current MPPs and party standings, Legislative Assembly of Ontario](https://www.ola.org/en/members/current) 4. [#EveryElectionProject: Ontario, Éric Grenier, The Writ](https://www.thewrit.ca/p/everyelectionproject-ontario?s=w) 5. [PC Party of Ontario Members Manual 2024](https://static.ontariopc.ca/uploads/2023/12/MembersManual2024.pdf) 6. [Ontario leader calls for snap election to fight Trump's threatened tariffs, Associated Press (January 2025)](https://apnews.com/article/fa805c1209f09b84840d47857f869469) 7. [Composite list: roles by portfolio, Legislative Assembly of Ontario](https://www.ola.org/en/members/current/composite-list) 8. [338Canada Ontario: Innovative Research poll, March 2026](https://www.338canada.com/ontario/20260329-inn.htm) 9. [338Canada Ontario: Mainstreet Research poll, May 2026](https://www.338canada.com/ontario/20260506-mai.htm) 10. [Liaison Strategies Ontario Political Tracker, June 19, 2026](https://www.liaison.ca/polls/ontario-liberals-lead-pcs-by-3-as-ford-approval-hits-26) 11. [338Canada Ontario: Liaison Strategies poll, July 2026](https://338canada.com/ontario/20260721-lia.htm) 12. [Ontario PCs and Liberals Statistically Tied as Ford's Approval Declines, Abacus Data](https://abacusdata.ca/ontario-pcs-and-liberals-statistically-tied-as-fords-approval-declines-and-political-environment-tightens-further/) 13. [Ontario: PCs Lead Liberals 40% to 34%; Leadership Preferences Shift with Introductions, Liaison Strategies (September 2026)](https://press.liaisonstrategies.ca/ontario-pcs-lead-liberals-40-to-34-leadership-preferences-shift/) 14. [Ontario Polling Tracker, Emrys Graefe](https://emrysgraefe.ca/polls/ontario) --- *Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › Politics and government › Political systems and ideas › Political parties and party families* *Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026* *Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.* License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license