Ontario PC leader Doug Ford has secured a second majority government with an emphatic win that saw him increase from his 2018 seat count and force both of his main rivals to step down.

Ford’s PCs are elected or leading in 83 of 124 ridings.

The NDP will form the official opposition, and is elected or leading in 31 seats, while the Liberals are in third, elected or leading in eight.

The Greens have kept Guelph and an independent candidate is leading in Haldimand-Norfolk.

A crowd assembled at Toronto Congress Centre in Etobicoke erupted into applause at news of the projection.

“What a night and what a result – together we have done the impossible – we have made history. . .  wow I am just so grateful, so grateful for your support, it’s what keeps me going,” Ford told the crowd.

The Ontario PCs appear to have secured more than 41 per cent of the vote, roughly in line with their 2018 performance.

In a short speech, he said he felt he had expanded what it meant to be a Progressive Conservative in Ontario, and centred the political discussion around the economy in a new way.

“If you’ve had to worry about your job at the local auto plant – I want you to know we’re investing in the future of the auto sector – if you’re a student who wants to work in the tech sector – I want you to know we’ll have a job waiting for you. You have my word that every single day I will get up and get to work and do everything in my power to achieve this dream.”

His team said they knocked on three million doors during the five-week campaign, and his top official was beaming when he spoke about the result.

"It's not often you get re-elected with a higher number of seats, so we're feeling pretty good," PC campaign manager Kory Teneycke told CTV News Toronto.

Votes are still being counted across the province, and polling places in 19 different ridings were kept open beyond the 9 p.m. closing time due to technical difficulties.

Ford said his second win signalled a broader appeal from him, less concerned about political labels.

“What started as an idea turned into a movement. We’ve changed what it means to be a Progressive Conservative in Ontario,” he said. “It’s no longer about being a blue or red orange or green team, it’s about recognizing that there’s so much that unites us.”

“We’re creating a more inclusive party where everyone matters.”

The incumbent for Etobicoke North ran a cautious “front-runner” campaign, holding few events where reporters could ask him questions and declining numerous requests for one-on-one interviews.

Instead, the 57-year-old held grand indoor rallies with supporters and large outdoor photo opportunities highlighting his party’s promises on infrastructure such as Highway 413.

Ford led in most polls during the campaign, with several this week putting him more than 10 per cent ahead of the Liberals and even farther ahead of the NDP.

Steven Del Duca lost in his riding of Vaughan-Woodbridge and Andrea Horwath said in her speech that she would step down as leader after 13 years.

His party promised to build a still un-costed highway linking York, Peel and Halton regions, devote up to $40 billion over 10 years to hospital construction and redevelopment, eliminate provincial income taxes on a wider swath of lower income workers and permanently remove licence plate sticker fees.

Ford contended with an unpopular first year, populated with stories of service cuts, and a fight to halve Toronto city council that eventually ended in a threat to invoke the Notwithstanding clause and a prolonged court battle.

But the COVID-19 pandemic gave Ford a chance to show stoicism and resolve in a trying time, especially in the early months.

He rode that early sentiment, and then discarded it when the public grew tired of pandemic restrictions, focusing instead on infrastructure, tax expenditures and talk of jobs.