King—Vaughan

King—Vaughan is a suburban and semi-rural riding north of Toronto that encompasses the Township of King and the northern portions of the City of Vaughan, including the communities of Woodbridge, Kleinburg, and King City. The riding has a large Italian-Canadian population and has voted Conservative at the provincial level for decades. Progressive Conservative Stephen Lecce won the seat in 2018 and was quickly elevated to the role of Minister of Education in 2019, making him one of the most high-profile members of the Ford cabinet.

Lecce’s tenure as education minister placed him at the centre of some of the term’s most contentious disputes, from teacher contract negotiations that led to rolling strikes in early 2020 to school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic. Born in Vaughan to Italian immigrant parents, Lecce had deep roots in the community he represented.

Candidates

Stephen Lecce (Progressive Conservative) — A graduate of the University of Western Ontario in political science, Lecce worked in the Prime Minister’s Office as director of media relations under Stephen Harper before running for provincial office. He served as Ontario’s Minister of Education from 2019 onward, becoming one of the province’s longest-serving holders of that portfolio.

Gillian Vivona (Liberal) — A high school teacher with nearly 40 years of experience in education, Vivona had lived in Vaughan since 2000 and was active in local charitable fundraising and community organizations.

Samantha Sanchez (NDP) — Sanchez ran as the NDP candidate in a riding where the party has historically had a limited presence.

Also running were Michael Di Mascolo (New Blue Party), Ren Guidolin (Green Party), Neil Killips (Ontario Party), and Tatiana Babitch (Ontario Moderate Party).

Local Issues

Education policy dominated the conversation in King—Vaughan, given that the riding’s own MPP served as Minister of Education. The government’s initial plans to increase high school class sizes and introduce mandatory e-learning credits sparked conflict with teachers’ unions, culminating in a province-wide school closure on February 21, 2020—the first since the 1997 strikes. The government eventually backed down on the most significant class-size changes. Weeks later, the COVID-19 pandemic led to extended school closures, with Ontario schools remaining closed longer than those in most other provinces. Parents in King—Vaughan experienced these disruptions firsthand.

During the campaign, Lecce faced controversy when reports surfaced that he had participated in a Sigma Chi fraternity event at Western University in 2006 that was described as a “slave auction” fundraiser. Lecce publicly apologized for his involvement. The NDP called for him to withdraw as a candidate, but Premier Ford said Lecce would remain on the ballot.

Growth and development continued to reshape the riding. The widening of Highway 400 through the area involved the reconstruction of overpasses and bridges, including the King-Vaughan Road Bridge. Residential subdivision construction in both Vaughan and King Township raised familiar suburban questions about the adequacy of schools, transit, and community services to support a growing population.