Ontario premier Doug Ford has triggered an early election in the province, saying he needs a strong mandate to take on the tariff threat.

TORONTO — Ontario Premier Doug Ford officially set a provincial election in motion Tuesday for Feb. 27, more than a year before the next fixed election date. The election had been set for June 2026, but Ford said he needs a new mandate to deal with four years of a Donald Trump presidency in the United States.

Doug Ford is set to officially trigger an early provincial election campaign Tuesday, sending Ontarians to the polls Feb. 27 in a move criticized by his opposition as unnecessary but that the Premier argues he needs in order to win a stronger mandate as U.S. tariffs loom.

Ford is taking Ontarians to the polls amid political instability in Ottawa after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently announced that he would resign.

Ontario’s premier is calling an early election, saying his government needs a fresh mandate to help Canada’s fight against potential tariffs from US President Donald Trump.

The leader of Canada’s most populous province says he will be calling an election in Ontario because he says he needs a mandate to fight U.S. President Donald Trump’s threatened tariffs

Doug Ford, Ontario’s Conservative leader, has recently said that President Trump was “going to try to devastate our country” with a plan to impose tariffs on Canadian exports.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford plans to call a snap election Wednesday, using the threat of 25 per cent tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump as a justification. Opposition parties say early election is not necessary.