STAFF WRITER

Voters in Ontario will head to the polls on Feb. 27 as the Ontario provincial election campaign kicks off, following Premier Doug Ford’s decision to call a snap election.

Here are the candidates for our local ridings. 

In Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston, a riding with a population of 111,459 according to the 2021 census, the candidates include the following.  

Rob Rainer, Tay Valley Township’s current reeve, is running for the Ontario Liberal Party, while the Ontario NDP is represented by John MacRae. 

Incumbent John Jordan, representing the Ontario Progressive Conservatives, will be seeking re-election, having served since the 2022 provincial election. 

Prior to Jordan, Randy Hillier, a former Progressive Conservative MPP, represented the riding from 2007 to 2022. 

The Ontario Green Party has yet to name a candidate in this riding.

Meanwhile, in Leeds-Grenville-Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, with a population of 104,050, Steve Clark will be defending his seat for the Progressive Conservative Party. Clark has held the riding since 2010, when he won a byelection to replace Bob Runciman. 

The Progressive Conservatives have held the seat since 1987, including under the previous riding of Leeds-Grenville. 

Lorna Jean Edmonds is running for the Ontario Liberal Party, and Fiona Jager is representing the Ontario Green Party. 

The Ontario NDP has not yet registered a candidate for this riding.