Ontario voters have elected a majority Progressive Conservative government and Doug Ford will be their next premier. His party captured 76 seats, but only needed 63 to form a majority government.
"My friends, this victory belongs to you," said Ford in am emotional victory speech. He also thanked his supporters.
"You have come together around one common vision of Ontario," Ford said. "You have sent a clear message, a message of hope and prosperity. (applause)"
He even invoked the name of his dead brother and former mayor of Toronto, Rob Ford.
"And I know that my brother Rob is looking down is looking down from heaven," he said to applause.
Doug Ford took the reins of the Progressive Conservative Party only three months ago. He had been accused of selling bogus party memberships, intimidating a potential candidate and was even sued three days before the election by Rob Ford’s widow for allegedly mismanaging the family business.
For incumbent Kathleen Wynne, who had said days ago that voters had turned away from her Liberal party, it was a stunning defeat.
"I am resigning as a leader of the Ontario Liberal Party," Wynne said. "I have spoken to the party president and asked him to start the process of choosing an interim leader - and it is the right thing to do. There is another generation and I am passing the torch to that generation."
The results were also disappointing for the New Democrats. They will form the official opposition in the legislature.
Among Doug Ford’s many promises to the voters: scrap the proposed $15 minimum wage, bring back $1 beer, allow beer and wine to be sold in corner stores and cut the price of gas by about $0.40 a gallon.
