Women Running in Ontario 2018

I started this blog back in 2014 after the Ontario election by discussing the number of women who ran and their success. This time I'm ahead o the ball, so today I'm giving you the lowdown on how many women are running, for which parties and where.

Earlier this week, in honour of Mothers' Day, Andrea Horwath announced that more than 50% of the NDPs candidates were women (69 of 124 or 55.6%) (http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ndp-liberals-pcs-women-election-voters-1.4661203). She praised the NDP for insuring that gender equity principles are part of the nomination process. To their credit the other mainstream parties have all increased the number of women running, this is even with the addition of 17 new ridings in this election. The percentage of women running for the Liberals has increased by 10% and the Progressive Conservatives have increased their number by 8%. The Greens come closest to the NDP running women in 64 of 125 ridings, according to a count of their website.

Women Running In Ontario  – Mainstream Parties

	2014			2018
	Women	Total	%	Women	Total	%
Green Party	37	107	34.6	64	125	51.2
Liberal Party	37	107	34.6	55	124	44.4
NDP	44	107	41.1	69	124	55.6
PC	27	107	25.2	41	124	33.1

In terms of the total number of women running, in 2014, 145 women ran for the four mainstream parties. In 2018, that number has increased by 84 to 229, so by more than half of those who ran in 2014.

However, this only takes into account the "mainstream" political parties. As, I said back in 2014, candidates running for minor parties and as independents tend to skew male. However, some women do run for those parties and it would appear that in 2018, as with the mainstream parties, more women are running for the minor/fringe parties. 25 women ran as independents or in minor parties in 2014, compared to 48 women running in 2018.

Of note is the number running for the Libertarian Party, 17 out of 107 candidates. It is notable because the Libertarian Party seems to be a going concern fielding candidates in nearly all of the Ontario ridings, particularly since in 2014 they only mounted campaigns in 74 ridings. This says something about the current political environment that such a party would present itself as a place for individuals to express their disillusionment with the mainstream parties. The other party that has seen growth from 2014 is the None of the Above Direct Democracy Party which has increased its candidates 3-fold. Women have a smaller presence in this party, 11.9%, but if it was to expand its candidate pool like the Libertarians it is likely the number of women would rise. The number of women associated with the Liberation Party, 15.9% of the candidates speaks to research I've done in the past with a colleague in the Psychology Department on free-market-conservative attitudes among women rather than authoritarian/social conservative attitudes. Given the numbers running for the Libertarian Party, it is worth going back and reappraising that research. (Keep posted for that in the coming year.)

Of further note is that the smaller the party, if they have any women candidates running, the more likely the percentages will be high.

 Women Running In Ontario  – Minor Parties

	2014			2018
	Women	Total	%	Women	Total	%
Canadian Economic Party	--	--	--	1	2	50.0
Communist Party	4	11	36.3	3	12	25.0
Consensus	1	2	50.0	2	9	22.2
Equal Parenting	1	2	50.0	0	0	--
Family Coalition	2	6	33.3	0	0	--
Freedom Party	7	42	16.7	2	14	14.3
Go Vegan	0	0	--	1	2	50.0
Libertarian Party	4	74	5.4	17	107	15.9
New People’s Choice Party	--	--	--	1	3	33.3
None of the Above	1	8	12.5	5	42	11.9
Northern Ontario Party (Northern Heritage Party)	0	3	--	1	10	10.0
Ontario Alliance	--	--	--	1	4	25.0
Ontario CORE	0	2	--	1	2	50.0
Ontario Moderate Party	0	2	--	5	16	31.3
Party for People with Special Needs	1	3	33.3	2	5	40.0
The People	--	--	--	1	6	16.7
Socialist Party	2	2	100	0	0	--
Stop the New Sex-Ed Agenda	--	--	--	2	3	66.7
Trillium	0	2	--	3	26	11.5
Vegan Environmental	2	5	20.0	0	0	--

'Where the women at?'

See the rather lengthy table posted below. Data is drawn from the elections Ontario website https://www.elections.on.ca/en.html.

This election women are on the ballot in 118 ridings out of 124!  That's 95.2%!  Women are absent from the ballot in only 9 ridings: Barrie-Spring Water-Oro Medonte, Don Valley East, Lambton-Kent-Middlesex, Nippissing, Scarborough North and Timmins. 

In 2014, there were 17 ridings (15%) that had no women, which at the time I remarked as not too shabby. Those ridings were (along with the winning party) Ajax Pickering (Lib), Chatham Kent Essex (PC), Etobicoke North (Lib), Kitchener Conestoga (PC), Lambton Kent Middlesex (PC), Lanark Frontenac Lennox Addington (PC), Niagara Falls (NDP), Ottawa West Nepean (Lib), Oxford (PC), Parry Sound Muskoka (PC), Renfrew Nipissing Pembroke (PC), Scarborough Rouge River (Lib), Timiskaming Cochrane (NDP), Vaughan (Lib), Wellington Halton Hills (PC), Windsor Tecumseh (NDP), and York Centre (Lib).

Who won the ridings in 2014 could have some bearing on the electoral success for the PCs and NDP. The interesting thing to keep watch for is how Liberal incumbents fare in the face of the predicted PC landslide. At some point I will look at incumbency among the women running but the Amazon elf just left my door and I've a new graphic comic series to immerse myself in. Plus, it's Friday. 

Everyone have a great weekend and for all of the candidates canvasing I wish you blue skies and warm sun. Let's make this election a festival. Greet all with kindness and fun and enjoy this great endeavor of democracy!

  

Ajax:  Marsha Haynes -- Libertarian Monique Hughes -- NDP Algoma-Manitoulin Kalena Mallon-Ferguson -- Libertarian Aurora-Oak Ridges-Richmond Hill Margarita Barsky -- Ontario Moderate Party Katrina Sale -- NDP Naheed Yaquhian -- Liberal Barrie-Innisfil Ann Hoggarth -- Liberal Andrea Khanjin -- PC Bonnie North -- Green Stacey Surkora -- Trillium Barrie-Spring Water-Oro Medonte All men Bay of Quinte Joanne Belanger -- NDP Cindy Davidson -- Libertarian Beaches-East York Roma Berns-McGown -- NDP Sara Mallo -- PC Regina Mundrago -- Party for People with Special Needs Debra Scott -- Green Party Brampton Centre Sara Singh -- NDP Laila Aarrabi Yan -- Green Brampton East Danielle Cerasoli -- Libertarian Raquell Fronte -- Green Brampton North Harinda Malhi -- Liberal Pauline Thornham -- Green Brampton South Lindsay Falt -- Green Brampton West Julie Guillemet-Akerman -- Green Brantford-Brant Alex Felsky -- NDP Ruby Toor -- Liberal Bruce-Grey--Owen Sound Francesca Dobbyn -- Liberal Karen C Venter -- NDP Janice Kaikkonen -- Consensus Elizabeth Liz Marshall -- Trilliam Burlington Nadine Bentham -- None of the Above Jane McKenna -- PC Eleanor McMahon -- Liberal Cambridge Michele Braniff -- Green Belinda Karaholios -- PC Marjorie Knight -- NDP Kathryn McBary -- Liberal Carleton Goldhi Gramari -- PC Courtney Potter -- NDP Theresa Qadri -- Liberal Chatham-Kent-Leamington Jordan McGrail -- NDP Margaret Schleier Stahl -- Liberal Davenport Cristina Martins -- Liberal Kersten Snider -- Green Marit Styles -- NDP Don Valley East All men Don Valley North Shelley Carroll -- Liberal Sarah Matthew -- Libertarian Janelle Yanishewski -- Green Don Valley West Amara Possian -- NDP Kathleen Wynne -- Liberal Dufferin Caledon Laura Campbell -- Green Sylvia Jones -- PC Andreal Mullacky -- NDP Durham Michelle Corbett -- Green Lindsey Park -- PC Eglington Lawrence Robin Martin -- PC Elgin-Middlesex-London Carlie Forsyth -- Liberal Bronagh Morgan -- Green Amanda Stratton -- NDP Essex Kate Festeryga -- Liberal Nancy Pancheshan -- Green  Etobicoke Centre Erica Kelly -- NDP Kinga Surma -- PC Etobicoke Lakeshore Christine Hogarth -- PC Etobicoke North Nancy Kaur Ghumaein -- Green Brianne Lefebvre -- Libertarian Flamborough-Glanbrook Janet Errygers -- Green Melissa McGlashan -- NDP Judi Partridge -- Liberal Donna Skelly -- PC Glengary-Prescott-Russell Bonnie Jean-Louis -- NDP Amanda Simard -- PC Geulph Juanita Burnett - Communist Sly Castaldi -- Liberal Agnieszka Mlynarz -- NDP Haldiman Norfolk Danielle Du Sablon -- NDP Anne Faulkner -- Green Thecla Ross -- Freedom Haliburton-Kwartha Lakes- Brock Brooklynne Cramp-Waldinspeger -- Liberal Laurie Scott -- PC Lynn Therien -- Green Hamilton Centre Maria Anastasiore -- Independent Mary Ellen Campbell -- Communist Dionne Duncan -- PC Andrea Horwath -- NDP Deidre Pike -- Liberal Hamilton East-Stoney Creek Linda Chenoweith -- None of the Above Lucina Monroy -- New People's Choice Party Jennifer Stebbing -- Liberal  Hamilton Mountain Esther Pauls -- PC Monique Taylor -- NDP Hamilton West-Ancaster-Dundas Stephanie Davies -- None of the Above Sandy Shaw -- NDP Hasting-Lennox and Addington Sari Watson -- Green

Humber River-Black Creek Kristen Bennett -- Green Lucy Guerrer -- Trillium Cyma Muscarat -- PC Jennifer Ochoa -- Libertarian Deanna Sgro -- Liberal Huron Bruce Jane Johnstone -- NDP Lisa Thompson -- PC Gerrie Hvenemoerder -- Alliance Kanata-Carleton Merrille Fullerton -- PC Stephanie Maghnam -- Liberal Kenora-Rainy River Karen Kejick -- Liberal Ember Mckillop -- Green King Vaughan Tatiana Babitch -- Ontario Moderate Party Andrea Beal -- NDP Marilyn Lafrale -- Liberal Kingston and the Islands Heather Cunningham -- Libertarian Sophie Kiwala -- Liberal Kiiwetinoong Chrstine Penner Polle -- Green Kitchener Centre Stacey Danckert -- Green Mary Henein Thorn -- PC Laura Mae Lindo -- NDP Daine Vernile -- Liberal Kitchener Conestoga Kelly Dick -- NDP Kitchener South-Hespeler Amy Fee -- PC Surekha Shenoy -- Liberal Lambton-Kent-Middlesex  All men Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston Anita Payne -- Green Amanda Pulker-Mok -- Liberal Leeds-Greenville-Thousand Islands Michelle Taylor -- NDP London Fanshawe Theresa Armstrong -- NDP Lisa Carriere -- Green Lawvin Hadin -- LIBeral London North Centre Carol Dyck -- Green Kate Graham -- Liberal Clara Sorrenti -- Communist Susan Truppe -- PC London West Tracey Pringle -- Freedom Pamela Reid -- Green Peggy Sattler -- NDP Markham-Stoufville Helena Jaczek -- Liberal Markham-Thornhill Caryn Bergmann -- Green Cindy Hackelberg -- NDP Juanita Nathan -- Liberal Markham Unionville Amanda Yeung Collucci -- Liberal Sylvie David -- NDP Milton Anastasia Afonina -- Ontario Moderate Party Eleanor Hayward -- Green India Naidoo-Harris -- Liberal Missisauga Centre Bobbie Daid -- Liberal Laura Kaminker -- NDP Natalia Kusendova -- PC Mississauga East-Cooksville Dipika Damerla -- Liberal Mykola Ponomarenko -- Ontario Moderate Party Mississauga-Erin Mills Farina Hassan -- NDP Margery Yuill -- Green Mississauga-Lakeshore Felicia Trigani -- Go Vegan Mississauga-Malton Nicki Clarke -- NDP Amrit Mangal -- Liberal Caroline Roach -- Independent Eryn Sylvester -- Green Michelle Ciupka -- Libertarian Mississauga-Streetsville Nina Tangri -- PC Jacqueline Gujarati – NDP Mushkegowak-James Bay Sarah Hutchinson – Green Vanda Marshall – Libertarian Fauzia Sadiq -- OnCORE Nepean Lisa Macleod -- PC Lovina Srivastava -- Liberal Newmarket-Aurora Michelle Bourdeau -- Green Christine Elliot -- PC Lori Robbins -- Libertarian Melissa Williams -- NDP Niagara Centre April Jeffs -- PC Niagara Falls Karen Fraser -- Green Niagara West Jessica Tillmanns -- Green Nickel Belt Jo-Ann Cardinal -- PC Frace Gelinas -- NDP Nippissing All men  Northumberland-Peterborough South Janna Papuckoski -- NDP Oakville Emily De Sousa -- Green Lesley Sprague -- NDP Oakville-North Burlington Effie Triantafilopoulos -- PC Marianne Workman -- Green Saima Zaidi -- NDP Orleans Marie-France Lalonde -- Liberal Barbara Zaiboni – NDP Oshawa Deborah Ellis -- Green Jennifer French -- NDP Jeannette Gory -- Libertarian Cheryl Kelly -- None of the Above Markini Smith -- Liberal Ottawa Centre Colleen McCleery -- PC Cherie Wong -- Green Ottawa South Eleanor Fast -- NDP Karin Howard -- PC Ottawa-Vanier Natalie Des Rosiers -- Liberal Lyra Evans -- NDP Sheilagh McLean -- Green

Ottawa West-Nepean Chandra Pasma -- NDP Oxford  Tara King – NDP Parkdale-High Park Nadia Guerrera – Liberal Bhutila Karpoche – NDP Halyna Zalucky – Green Parry Sound-Muskoka Erin Horvath – NDP Brenda Rhodes – Liberal Perth-Wellington Lisa Olsen – Green Peterborough-Kawartha Gianne Broughton – Green Pickering-Uxbridge Nerissa Carino – NDP Nitalia Duboisky – Ontario Moderate Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke Jackie Agnew – Liberal Ethel Lavalley – NDP Richmond Hill Daisy Wai – PC St. Catherines Sandi Bellows – PC Jennie Stevens – NDP Sarnia-Lambton Kathy Alexander – NDP Farina Kodre – Century/Ind Sault Ste Marie Kara Flanigan – Green Jaclynne Hamel – Liberal Sandra Homberg – Northern Ontario Michelle Mccleave-Kennedy – NDP Scarborough-Agincourt Rubina Ansary – Ontario Moderate Tasleen Riaz – NDP Soo Wong – Liberal Scarborough-Centre Christina Mitas – PC Scarborough-Guildwood Heather Dunbar – The People Mitzie Hunter – Liberal Linda Rice – Green Wanda Ryan – Party for people with Special Needs Scarborough North All Men Scarborough-Rouge Park Felicia Samvel – NDP Sumi Shan – Liberal Scarborough-Southwest Doly Begum – NDP Simcoe-Grey Jessica Perry – Green Simcoe North Jill Dunlop – PC Valerie Powell – Green Cynthia Sneath – Libertarian Elizabeth Van Houtte – NDP Spadina-North York Rita Bilerman – Green Iris Yu – PC Queenie Yu – Stop the Sex-Ed Agenda Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry Elaine Kennedy – Green Heather Mcgill – Liberal Sabile Trimm – Libertarian Sudbury Mila Chavez Wong – Consensus Thornhill Gila Martow – PC Thunder Bay-Atikokan Judith Monteith-Farrell – NDP Dorothy Snell – Libertarian Thunder Bay-Superior North Lousie Ewen – Trillium Lise Vaugeois – NDP Temiskaming-Cochrane Margaret Williams -- PC Timmins All men Toronto Centre Meredith Cartwright – PC Wanda Marie Fountain -- CEP Judi Falardeau – Libertarian Suze Morrison – NDP Theresa Snell – Stop the New Sex-Ed agenda Toronto Danforth Patricia Kalligofyris – PC Li Koo – Liberal Toronto-St. Pauls Jill Andrew – NDP Marina Deshchitsina – Ontario Moderate Teresa Pun – Green Jess Spindler – Liberal University Rosedale Jessica Bell – NDP Jo-Ann Davis – Liberal Gillian Smith – PC Vaughan-Woodbridge Sandra Lozano- NDP Waterloo Catherine Fife – NDP Dorothy McCabe – Liberal Wellington-Halton Hills Diane Ballantyne – NDP Whitby Stacey Leadbetter – Green Niki Lundquist – NDP Leisa Washington – Liberal Willowdale Catherine MacDonald-Robertson – Libertarian Randi Ramdeen – Green Saman Tabasinejad – NDP Windsor-Tecumseh Remy Boulbol – Liberal Laura Chesnick – Ind Windsor West Krysta Glovasky-Risdale – Green Lisa Gretzky – NDP York Centre Cheri Ann Day – None of the Above Roma Lyon – Green Andrea Vasquez Jimenez – NDP York-Simcoe Loralea Carruthers – Liberal Caroline Mulroney – PC Alexandra Zalucky – Green York South-Weston Laura Albanese – Liberal Bonnie Hu – Libertarian