The leader of Ontario, Canada’s most populous province, has kicked off his provincial election campaign, saying he needs a strong mandate to fight the tariffs threatened by U.S.

“If you have been following it all, you know that Ford and the (Progressive Conservatives) in Ontario have wanted to have an early election for some time,” John Shields, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Politics and Public Administration at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) said.

Ontario voters are set to head to the polls in a rare winter election. Premier Doug Ford has already been framing the snap election, coming right before an anticipated federal vote, as necessary for a strong mandate in order to best represent Ontario’s interests on the national and world stage.

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