Doug Ford
Douglas Robert Ford Jr. is a Canadian politician and businessman who has served as the 26th premier of Ontario and as leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario since 2018. He represents the Toronto riding of Etobicoke North in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.
Alongside his brother Randy, Ford co-owns Deco Labels and Tags, a printing business operating in Canada and the United States founded by their father, Doug Ford Sr., who served as a Member of Provincial Parliament from 1995 to 1999. Ford was a Toronto city councillor for Ward 2 Etobicoke North from 2010 to 2014 at the same time that his brother, Rob Ford, was mayor of Toronto. Ford ran in the 2014 Toronto mayoral election, placing second to John Tory.
In 2018, Ford entered provincial politics and won the Progressive Conservative Party leadership election held that year. He has led the party to three consecutive majority governments during his tenure as party leader in the 2018, 2022, and 2025 general elections. During his time as premier, Ford decreased the size of the Toronto City Council, responded to the COVID-19 pandemic, granted extra powers to designated Ontario mayors through the Strong Mayors, Building Homes Act, enacted the Your Health Act to expand the use of private healthcare services, responded to tariffs on Canadian goods to the United States, and became embroiled in controversy over the Greenbelt scandal. Ford's rhetoric and policies were characterized as conservative and right-wing populist during his years in Toronto municipal politics and his early years as premier, but since 2020 and with the need to work with the federal Liberal government during the pandemic, the Freedom Convoy in Ottawa, and United States president Donald Trump's tariffs against Canada, political commentators have noted his gradual shift to the political centre with a more co-operative attitude towards the federal government, while seemingly exhibiting less public support for the federal Conservative Party.
Early life, family, and education
Born in Etobicoke, Ontario, Douglas Robert Ford Jr. was the second of four children of Doug Bruce Ford Sr. and Ruth Diane Ford. His paternal grandparents were English immigrants. He graduated grade twelve from Scarlett Heights Collegiate Institute. He then attended Humber College for two months before dropping out with no diploma.Business career and early political involvement
In the 1990s, Ford became involved in the running of Deco Labels and Tags, a business co-founded by his father in 1962. The company makes pressure-sensitive labels for plastic-wrapped grocery products. Doug Jr. became president of the company in 2002 and was responsible for the company's expansion into Chicago. Nearing his death, his father divided up the company, leaving 40 percent to Doug Jr., 40 percent to Randy and 20 percent to Rob. In 2008, Doug Jr. launched the purchase of Wise Tag and Label in New Jersey and fired Wise Tag's manager. Former Deco employees suggest that the Chicago branch was well-managed under Doug Jr., and that he was well-liked but that the company declined under Randy's leadership after Doug Jr. entered politics in 2010., Ford and his mother were directors of the company, managed by his brother Randy.Ford's first involvement in politics came when Doug Holyday approached Deco to print stickers for signs for his 1994 mayoral campaign in Etobicoke. Ford took it upon himself to canvass for Holyday. He then assisted in his father's campaigns as a PC MPP candidate in 1995 and 1999. He also ran his brother Rob's council campaigns in 2000, 2003, and 2006, and Rob's winning mayoral campaign in 2010.
Municipal politics (2010–2018)
Toronto City Councillor
On October 25, 2010, Ford was elected as councillor to Toronto City Council in Ward 2. He succeeded his brother, Rob, who ran successfully for mayor of Toronto. Upon election, Doug Ford announced that he would donate his $100,000 annual salary to community organizations.As a city councillor, Ford voted to privatise garbage pickup west of Yonge Street, declare the Toronto Transit Commission an essential service, reduce the office budget of city councillors and eliminate the vehicle registration tax.
Boards and agencies
While on city council, Ford served on the board of Build Toronto, an arm's-length city body responsible for developing and selling city land. He was also a director of the Canadian National Exhibition, and served on the Budget Committee, the Civic Appointments Committee and the Government Management Committee at Council.Ford was a member of the board of Toronto Transit Infrastructure Limited, a corporation set up to finance a Sheppard Avenue subway extension, which Council later cancelled. In 2011, Ford promoted an alternative plan for the Port Lands district of Toronto, including a monorail, a boat-in hotel, the world's largest Ferris wheel and a mega-mall. The plan was ridiculed in the media and council voted it down—including by members of the mayoral executive committee.
Other events while councillor
Ford caused controversy after revealing that his brother Rob would be served a subpoena if Rob's friend and driver Alexander Lisi went to court over charges of extortion. Ford commented that the subpoena was in "payback" for Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair's not getting a contract renewal with the Toronto Police Service, saying "This is why we need a change at the top", in regards to Blair's contract. Blair filed a defamation lawsuit, demanding a written apology in exchange for dropping the suit. Ford apologized and retracted the comments.An investigative report by The Globe and Mail published in May 2013 alleged that Ford had sold hashish at James Gardens for several years in the 1980s, based on interviews with anonymous sources. Ford, who had never been charged with drug possession or trafficking, denied the allegations and accused the newspaper of unfairly targeting his brother, then-mayor Rob Ford. The newspaper defended its report and its use of anonymous sources at an Ontario Press Council hearing, which dismissed complaints against the newspaper and found that its coverage was "fair and ethical". Ford said at the time that he planned to sue the newspaper for libel. When asked in a 2018 interview why he had not sued, he replied that he had decided a lawsuit would be a "waste of time".
Ford opposed a house for developmentally disabled youth in his ward, saying the home had "ruined the community".
2014 mayoral election
In June 2013, Ford announced that he would not run for re-election as councillor in the next Toronto election, scheduled for 2014: "I won't be running next time, at least down here I won't be running, I'll be running away from this place in 16 months", expressing his frustration with municipal politics. It was speculated at the time that Ford may be a Progressive Conservative candidate for a future Ontario election, or interested in the leadership of the PCs. On February 20, 2014, after meeting with PC leader Tim Hudak, Ford announced that he would not be a candidate in the next provincial election, which was called for June 12, 2014, so that he could focus on his brother's re-election campaign. Ford explained, "The timing right now just doesn't work."After his brother Rob entered drug rehab in May 2014, Ford commented that he would not rule out running for mayor. Rob returned from rehab and continued his campaign for mayor, but withdrew after he was diagnosed with an abdominal tumour and hospitalized. Doug Ford then entered the mayoral campaign in the last hour before the nomination deadline on September 12, 2014. Comments Ford made during the campaign received criticism for alleged bigotry, such as misogyny and antisemitism, and critics accused him of conflict of interest and of drug dealing in the past. Though voters viewed the brothers as having the same ideological stance and gave them similar levels of support, Rob's drug scandal received little attention with regard to Doug's campaign.
Ford's campaign got the attention of Last Week Tonights John Oliver, who closed an episode begging Torontonians to vote for Doug Ford for the world's amusement. Doug Ford maintained the support that Rob had in the polls and made no significant ground against frontrunner John Tory, but maintained his lead over Olivia Chow. Ford lost the election to Tory, having 34 percent of the support compared to Tory's 40 percent. Ford's campaign was fined $11,950 for placing 478 illegal lawn signs during the campaign, including placing signs on the Don Valley Parkway, the Gardiner Expressway, and on civic buildings and parks.
Following his unsuccessful mayoral candidacy, there was speculation that Ford would become a candidate for the leadership of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario. Ford told reporters: "It's on the table, I would really consider it", and added: "Our campaign is ready to go. Our people are itching to get involved. We are miles ahead of the other candidates." On November 27, 2014, Ford announced that he would not be a candidate for the position and endorsed the candidacy of family friend Christine Elliott.
Integrity commissioner ruling controversy
In December 2016, the City of Toronto's integrity commissioner concluded that Ford broke the city's code of conduct when he was a councillor finding that Ford improperly used his influence in municipal matters pertaining to two companies that were clients of his family's company. Integrity Commissioner Valerie Jepson ruled that: "Councillor Ford took no steps to establish clear lines of separation between his responsibilities as a member of Council and his duties as a principal of Deco."Since Ford was no longer a councillor by the time the ruling was issued, the commissioner did not recommend any sanctions for Ford.