Every one of the 124 ridings in Ontario is important to win the June 2 election but some are more important than others and the Greater Toronto Area tops the list as a must-win region.

So, on Tuesday, Doug Ford started his day in Brampton. The Progressive Conservatives hold two of the five ridings and want to take the other three from the New Democrats. The Liberals would like to grab one or two Brampton seats as well. Ford repeated his campaign themes in his only media availability of the day. He again promised to build highways, roads, bridges and transit. Talking highways in a commuter city like Brampton might shake loose enough new PC voters for Ford to grab those NDP seats. Ford pointed out the Liberals failed to nominate candidates in all 124 ridings and predicted the party’s leader Steven Del Duca will not win in his old riding, Vaughan-Woodbridge, currently held by the PCs’ Michael Tibollo.

Later in the day, Ford moved to the east side of the GTA for campaign stops in Scarborough ridings. The media was excluded from that campaigning. Ford likes to talk about breaking out of the “Queen’s Park bubble” to get out and meet Ontarians. But the Tory strategy is to keep his media appearances tightly under control.

How badly do the Progressive Conservatives want those Brampton seats? Ford will be back in the city on Wednesday morning before campaigning in Mississauga. Another full day in the GTA.

Del Duca on Tuesday accused Ford of being “stuck in a political bubble,” saying the PC strategy is to “skate past the affordability crisis.” The Liberals continue to focus their discussions on affordable housing and rent controls.

Like Ford, Del Duca spent his day in the GTA. His first stop was in Beaches-East York -- an NDP riding. Del Duca repeated again and again that there is “only one way to stop Ford. Vote Liberal.” The Liberal candidate is former city councillor Mary-Margaret McMahon. She is in a close race with the new NDP candidate Kate Dupuis. Beaches-East York is an NDP stronghold. It has only voted Liberal once (2014) since 1999. If McMahon wins here the Liberals might take back other downtown Toronto ridings.

Del Duca stopped in another NDP held riding in Parkdale-High Park later on Tuesday before campaigning in the PC-held riding, York-Centre. With each day the Liberal message is getting more focused. Del Duca now questions Ford’s record more forcefully.

“It is shocking that Ford abandoned people in the province,” Del Duca said today.

The New Democrats had great hopes to bring their leader Andrea Horwath out of COVID isolation but early this morning made the decision to have her campaign virtually for one more day. Horwath told reporters she is taking one more day off the campaign trail “out of an abundance of caution.” Horwath repeated her commitment to long-term health reforms. It was her only public event of the day. On Wednesday Horwath will be on her campaign bus. She will start with a media availability in Etobicoke.

Mike Schreiner’s Green campaign also stayed virtual for anther day. The Greens will finally have Schreiner back on the road Wednesday. He will head straight back to Parry Sound-Muskoka. Winning a second riding on June 2 would give the party a significant boost and the polls show Matt Richter, the Green candidate, closing in on the Progressive Conservative candidate in that riding.