Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill

Progressive Conservative MPP Michael Parsa sought a third consecutive term in this suburban York Region riding, having risen through the ranks of the Ford government during the 2022-2025 term. After serving as associate minister for Municipal Affairs and Housing following his 2022 re-election, Parsa was promoted to Minister of Children, Community and Social Services in March 2023, giving him a cabinet-level portfolio that brought both provincial visibility and scrutiny. The Liberals fielded local lawyer Jason Cherniak, while the NDP ran Naila Saeed.

Parsa entered the 2025 contest as the heavy favourite in a riding that had trended strongly Conservative since 2018, and the snap election's focus on national economic security further bolstered his position.

Candidates

Michael Parsa (Progressive Conservative) — First elected in 2018, Parsa served as associate minister for Municipal Affairs and Housing before being appointed Minister of Children, Community and Social Services in March 2023. A longtime Richmond Hill resident and former small business owner, he had also been the federal Conservative candidate in Richmond Hill in 2015.

Jason Cherniak (Liberal) — A lawyer who grew up in Richmond Hill and earned his law degree from Dalhousie University, Cherniak opened his own firm, Cherniak Law, in the riding. He served as president of the Richmond Hill Rotary Club and helped raise more than $150,000 for local charities and non-profits as chair of the Rotary TV Auction.

Naila Saeed (NDP) — The NDP's candidate in the riding, Saeed represented the party's effort to maintain a presence in the York Region suburbs.

Minor candidates included Ikram Kahn (Green Party) and Rosaria Wiseman (New Blue Party).

Local Issues

Housing affordability continued to be a central concern in Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill. Home prices in York Region remained among the highest in the province, and the debate over balancing densification with the protection of the environmentally sensitive Oak Ridges Moraine intensified during the term. The provincial government's Greenbelt controversy of 2023, in which land swaps favouring certain developers were reversed after the Auditor General and Integrity Commissioner raised serious concerns, resonated in a riding that sits along the southern edge of the Moraine. Residents were wary of development proposals that could compromise the area's groundwater recharge zones and natural heritage.

Parsa's portfolio as Minister of Children, Community and Social Services brought its own challenges to his profile. Ontario's child welfare system faced significant strain during his tenure, with children's aid societies reporting shortages of foster and group homes, and reports of youth being placed in hotel rooms and agency offices. The minister faced questions about how the province was addressing the financial and operational pressures within the system.

Transportation remained a daily concern for the riding's many Toronto-bound commuters. GO Transit's Barrie line served parts of the riding, but residents continued to push for more frequent two-way, all-day service, improved station infrastructure, and better local transit connections. The provincial government's broader transportation investments, including the ongoing construction of the subway extension into York Region, shaped discussions about how growth and mobility would intersect in the northern GTA suburbs.