Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston

Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston covers a vast territory stretching from the limestone farmland and heritage towns of Lanark County through the Canadian Shield landscapes of Frontenac County to the northwestern edge of the City of Kingston. First-term Progressive Conservative MPP John Jordan, born and raised in Lanark County, sought re-election after a term in which he served as parliamentary assistant to both the Minister of Health and the Minister of Long-Term Care. Jordan, whose family operates a small farm in Montague Township, had won the seat in 2022 with just over fifty per cent of the vote, succeeding longtime PC MPP Randy Hillier, who had been expelled from the party caucus in 2019.

Before entering politics, Jordan held a degree in economics from York University and an executive MBA from the University of Ottawa, and led the successful integration of three community health centres into ConnectWell Community Health, a multi-sector organization with over two hundred employees serving marginalized residents across the region.

Candidates

John Jordan (Progressive Conservative) — First elected in 2022, Jordan served as parliamentary assistant to both the Minister of Health and the Minister of Long-Term Care during the 2022-2025 term. He previously worked for sixteen years with the local school board and then led the creation of ConnectWell Community Health through the merger of the North Lanark Community Health Centre, Lanark Community Programs, and Whitewater Bromley Community Health Centre.

Rob Rainer (Liberal) — The reeve of Tay Valley Township in southwestern Lanark County, Rainer spent many years as executive director of non-profit and charitable organizations in New Brunswick and Ottawa before entering municipal politics in 2018. He is a co-founder and first chair of the Lanark Basic Income Network and was endorsed as the "Ontario Unity Candidate" by Cooperate for Canada, a group seeking to unite centre-left voters.

John Macrae (NDP) — The NDP's candidate in the riding, Macrae represented the party's effort to build support in a historically conservative rural seat.

Marlene Spruyt (Green Party) — The Green Party candidate in the riding.

Minor candidates included Wendy Dillistone-whitaker (Ontario Party), David Motton (New Blue Party), and Shane O'neill (Independent).

Local Issues

Health care access was the defining issue in this largely rural riding during the 2022-2025 term. The Perth and Smiths Falls District Hospital serves as the primary acute care facility for a wide area, but residents in more remote parts of the riding faced long travel times to reach medical services. The shortage of family physicians was acute, and the difficulty of recruiting doctors and nurses to smaller communities meant that some residents went years without consistent primary care. Jordan's role as parliamentary assistant to the health and long-term care ministers placed these challenges squarely within his portfolio responsibilities, and he pointed to provincial initiatives to expand medical training and streamline credentialing for internationally trained professionals.

Long-term care capacity was a related concern, particularly given the riding's aging population. Wait lists for long-term care beds remained long, and families reported difficulty finding appropriate placements for elderly relatives. The provincial government's commitment to building new long-term care homes was scrutinized for the pace of construction and the adequacy of staffing plans, with advocates arguing that capital investment alone would not solve the sector's workforce crisis.

Infrastructure and connectivity gaps persisted across the riding's rural areas. Broadband internet remained unreliable or unavailable in many communities, limiting access to telehealth, remote work, and online education. Road maintenance, particularly on county and township roads during winter, was a safety concern for residents who must drive significant distances to reach services. The balance between preserving the rural character of Lanark and Frontenac counties and accommodating population growth near Kingston continued to shape municipal planning debates.