Doug Ford kicked off his campaign for reelection on Wednesday at the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor, Ont., asking voters for a new and stronger mandate to try to stave off crippling tariffs threatened by U.

Premier Doug Ford’s early reelection campaign launched Wednesday below the Ambassador Bridge, highlighting a central theme of his strategy to win votes and paint himself as Canada’s defender against U.S. tariffs.

Ford says he needs the strongest majority in Ontario history in order to effectively deal with the threatened 25 per cent tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump, and has called a snap election for Feb.