Five things to know as Ontario's election campaign formally gets underway this week

It might feel like the Ontario election campaign has been underway for weeks but the official 28-day race only technically begins on Wednesday.

Here are the things you need to know as you navigate the next month.

Where things stand

Let’s start with the big number. To win a majority one party needs to win 63 of the 124 seats in the legislature. In 2018, the Progressive Conservative party coasted to a big win by taking 76 seats on election night. But when the writ is issued to start the campaign this week the PCs will be down to 67 incumbents. That’s because four PC MPPs were removed from caucus, three others resigned and two left politics altogether, leaving their seat’s vacant. The New Democratic Party, meanwhile, picked up 19 additional seats in 2018, becoming the Official Opposition with 40 seats in the legislature. Heading into the election the NDP have 33 incumbents running for re-election and there are seven ridings the NDP won in 2018 where new candidates will be trying to hold the seats. As for the Liberals, the party lost official status in 2018 when they won just seven seats. They will head into this election with just five incumbents and a new leader in Steven Del Duca. The former Liberal Transportation Minister lost his seat in 2018 to the PC’s in Vaughan-Woodbridge. He is running in the riding again.

The other parties

The Green Party won its first seat ever in 2018 when Leader Mike Schreiner was elected in Guelph and will be looking to build on that success. There are also two other smaller parties contesting the coming provincial election.

• The Ontario Party ran just five candidates in 2018 but has 42 confirmed for this election. The party is led by former MP and one-time Conservative leadership candidate Derek Sloan. It is also represented in the legislature by Chatham-Kent-Leamington MPP Rick Nicholls. He joined the party in December, months after being ousted from the PC caucus for refusing to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
• The New Blue Ontario Party is fielding candidates in all 124 ridings. It is led by Jim Karahalios, who is running for a seat in Kitchener-Conestoga. Belinda Karahalios currently holds the Cambridge riding. She won that riding in 2018 for the Progressive Conservatives but has sat in the legislature as a New Blue Ontario member since January.

The debates

It is confirmed that there will be two debates with the leaders of the PCs, NDP, Liberals and Green parties. The first will be in North Bay on May 10. The afternoon debate will focus on issues affecting Northern Ontario. Then later in May., the leaders will be in front of television cameras for a 90-minute-debate. That will be the first province wide debate to include Mike Schreiner of the Green Party.

Last call for nominations

Thinking of running in the election? Nominations close at 2:00 p.m. on May 12. To be a candidate one must be a Canadian citizen, a resident in Ontario and 18 or older. The nomination paper needs to be signed by 25 residents of the riding.

Leader itineraries will provide a hint about road ahead

With the campaigns focussing on the party leaders watch for Ford, Horwath, Del Duca and Schreiner to be up early getting their daily messages out and then using other events and media interviews to highlight the announcements. And watch where the leaders are sent by their parties. That will help tell us where each party thinks it can find those 63 seats to secure a majority on June 2.