Ford’s PCs maintain lead as NDP support slips, new poll suggests

With 15 days left until Ontarians cast their ballots, a new survey has found that Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservative Party remains in the lead as support for the Ontario NDP has slipped.

The latest polling from Nanos Research which surveyed 500 Ontarians, shows the PCs with 36.1 per cent support, followed by the Liberals with 29.3 per cent.

The NDP is in third place with 19.8 per cent, a drop of nearly four percentage points from last week. The support for the Green Party has increased by three percentage points, sitting in fourth place with 7.3 per cent of support.

The survey, commissioned by CTV News and CP24, was conducted after the Ontario leaders debate on Monday.

According to the survey, Ford’s party is leading in the Greater Toronto Area and outside the region. The PCs have a six-percentage lead over the Liberals in the GTA. The gap between the two parties widens elsewhere in the province.

The survey also found that Ford has strong support among men, those aged 35 to 54 and those aged 55 and up. Del Duca’s Liberals lead among women with 36.8 per cent support.

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Of the people who were surveyed, 32.1 per cent said Ford is their preferred premier, followed by Del Duca (21. 6 per cent) and Horwath (17.5 per cent).

The Green Party’s Mike Schreiner jumped up to fourth place with 8.3 per cent in the preferred premier poll.

In a separate Nanos survey, it found that among the four political leaders, Schreiner left a “positive impression” among those who watched the debate on Monday.

Of those surveyed, 48.3 per cent had a “positive/somewhat positive” impression of Schreiner following the debate. However, a majority of the residents polled (40.2 per cent) said no one won the debate.

As for which provincial issue is on top of their list, healthcare continues to rank the highest, followed by the cost of living and inflation, specifically rising gas prices, which have surpassed the $2 per litre mark earlier this month.

Election Day is on June 2. For Ontarians wanting to cast their ballots early, advance polls open tomorrow.

METHODOLOGY

Nanos conducted an RDD dual frame (land-and cell-lines) hybrid telephone and online random survey of 515 residents of Ontario, 18 years of age or older, between May 16 and 17.

The results were statistically checked and weighted by age and gender using the latest Census information and the sample is geographically stratified to be representative of Ontario. Individuals were randomly called using random digit dialling with a maximum of five call backs.

The margin of error for a random survey of 515 Ontario residents is ±4.4 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.