# Kenora—Rainy River (provincial electoral district)

Kenora—Rainy River is a provincial electoral district (riding) in northwestern Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario since 1999. It was created from Kenora, most of Rainy River and part of Lake Nipigon. The boundaries of the new district corresponded with the Kenora—Rainy River federal riding, until it was abolished in 2003. The provincial riding will continue to exist.
A predominantly white, working class, and rural riding, Kenora-Rainy River was formerly a stronghold for the Ontario NDP. Greg Rickford of the Progressive Conservatives was elected its MPP in a dramatic swing to the right in 2018. The riding was previously represented by Sarah Campbell for the NDP and Howard Hampton, former leader of the Ontario New Democratic Party. The riding includes the western three quarters of Kenora District, the western three quarters of the Rainy River District and the northwest corner of the Thunder Bay District.

## History

In 1996, Ontario was divided into the same electoral districts as those used for federal electoral purposes. They were redistributed whenever a readjustment took place at the federal level.
In 2005, legislation was passed by the Legislature to divide Ontario into 107 electoral districts, beginning with the next provincial election in 2007. The eleven northern electoral districts, including Kenora—Rainy River, are those defined for federal purposes in 1996, based on the 1991 census (except for a minor boundary adjustment). The 96 southern electoral districts are those defined for federal electoral purposes in 2003, based on the 2001 census. Without this legislation, the number of electoral districts in northern Ontario would have been reduced from eleven to ten.
Prior to the 2018 provincial election, the Ontario government's Far North Electoral Boundaries Commission proposed dividing Kenora—Rainy River into one riding for the urbanized southern portion of the current district, which will retain the name Kenora—Rainy River, and one riding for the predominantly Indigenous northern portion of the current district, to be named Kiiwetinoong. The creation of Kiiwetinoong and Mushkegowuk—James Bay, another new northern riding, were approved with the passage of the Representation Statute Law Amendment Act, 2017 in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

## Members

Kenora—Rainy River :
| Assembly | Years | Member | Party |
| Riding created from Kenora, Rainy River and Lake Nipigon |||||
| 37th | 1999–2003 | Howard Hampton | New Democratic |
| 38th | 2003–2007 | Howard Hampton | New Democratic |
| 39th | 2007–2011 | Howard Hampton | New Democratic |
| 40th | 2011–2014 | Sarah Campbell | New Democratic |
| 41st | 2014–2018 | Sarah Campbell | New Democratic |
| 42nd | 2018–2022 | Greg Rickford | Progressive Conservative |
| 43rd | 2022–2025 | Greg Rickford | Progressive Conservative |
| 44th | 2025–present | Greg Rickford | Progressive Conservative |

## Election results

vte2025 Ontario general election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Progressive Conservative | Greg Rickford | 10,541 | 59.93 | +0.36 |
| | New Democratic | Rudy Turtle | 3,308 | 18.81 | –1.11 |
| | Liberal | Anthony Leek | 3,072 | 17.46 | +6.11 |
| | Green | John Redins | 336 | 1.91 | –1.88 |
| | New Blue | Randy Ricci | 333 | 1.89 | –0.56 |
| Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | 17,590 | 99.29 | +0.73 |
| Total rejected, unmarked, and declined ballots | Total rejected, unmarked, and declined ballots | Total rejected, unmarked, and declined ballots | 125 | 0.71 | –0.73 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 17,715 | 50.37 | +10.16 |
| Eligible voters | Eligible voters | Eligible voters | 35,172 |
| | Progressive Conservative hold | Progressive Conservative hold | Swing | Swing | +0.74 |
| Source: Elections Ontario |||||||
vte2022 Ontario general election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures |
| | Progressive Conservative | Greg Rickford | 9,567 | 59.57 | +11.01 | $56,299 |
| | New Democratic | JoAnne Formanek Gustafson | 3,199 | 19.92 | −17.41 | $14,415 |
| | Liberal | Anthony Leek | 1,823 | 11.35 | +0.77 | $32,991 |
| | Green | Catherine Kiewning | 608 | 3.79 | +0.26 | $1,339 |
| | New Blue | Kelvin Boucher-Chicago | 393 | 2.45 | | $4,074 |
| | Ontario Party | Larry Breiland | 276 | 1.72 | | $0 |
| | Consensus Ontario | Richard A. Jonasson | 98 | 0.61 | | $0 |
| | Independent | Mi'Azhikwan | 95 | 0.59 | | $0 |
| Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | 16,059 | 98.56 | -0.48 | $66,892 |
| Total rejected, unmarked, and declined ballots | Total rejected, unmarked, and declined ballots | Total rejected, unmarked, and declined ballots | 235 | 1.44 | +0.48 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 16,294 | 40.21 | -13.91 |
| Eligible voters | Eligible voters | Eligible voters | 40,231 |
| | Progressive Conservative hold | Progressive Conservative hold | Swing | Swing | +14.21 |
| Source(s) "Summary of Valid Votes Cast for Each Candidate" (PDF). Elections Ontario. 2022. Archived from the original on May 18, 2023."Statistical Summary by Electoral District" (PDF). Elections Ontario. 2022. Archived from the original on May 21, 2023. |||||||
2018 Ontario general election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures |
| | Progressive Conservative | Greg Rickford | 9,748 | 48.57 | +19.06 | $62,932 |
| | New Democratic | Glen Archer | 7,493 | 37.33 | -15.40 | $34,256 |
| | Liberal | Karen Kejick | 2,123 | 10.58 | -4.31 | $15,033 |
| | Green | Ember McKillop | 707 | 3.52 | +0.65 | $81 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 20,071 | 99.05 |
| Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots | Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots | Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots | 193 | 0.95 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 20,264 | 54.12 |
| Eligible voters | Eligible voters | Eligible voters | 37,442 |
| | Progressive Conservative gain from New Democratic | Progressive Conservative gain from New Democratic | Swing | Swing | +17.23 |
| Source: Elections Ontario |||||||
2014 general election redistributed results :
| Party | Vote | % |
| New Democratic | 9,410 | 52.73 |
| Progressive Conservative | 5,266 | 29.51 |
| Liberal | 2,657 | 14.89 |
| Green | 513 | 2.87 |
2014 Ontario general election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | New Democratic | Sarah Campbell | 12,889 | 55.65 | +6.02 |
| | Progressive Conservative | Randy Nickle | 5,905 | 25.49 | -12.16 |
| | Liberal | Anthony Leek | 3,652 | 15.77 | +5.79 |
| | Green | Tim McKillop | 711 | 3.07 | +1.30 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 23,157 | 100.00 |
| | New Democratic hold | New Democratic hold | Swing | Swing | +9.02 |
| Source:Elections Ontario |||||||
2011 Ontario general election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | New Democratic | Sarah Campbell | 10,949 | 49.62 | -11.00 |
| | Progressive Conservative | Rod McKay | 8,307 | 37.65 | +25.95 |
| | Liberal | Anthony Leek | 2,202 | 9.98 | -14.44 |
| | Green | Jo Jo Holiday | 391 | 1.77 | -1.49 |
| | Northern Ontario Heritage | Charmaine Romaniuk | 216 | 0.98 | |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 22,065 | 100.00 |
| Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots | Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots | Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots | 65 | 0.29 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 22,130 | 45.75 |
| Eligible voters | Eligible voters | Eligible voters | 48,369 |
| | New Democratic hold | New Democratic hold | Swing | Swing | -18.48 |
| Source: Elections Ontario |||||||
2007 Ontario general election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | New Democratic | Howard Hampton | 14,281 | 60.62 | +0.87 |
| | Liberal | Mike Wood | 5,752 | 24.42 | -1.31 |
| | Progressive Conservative | Penny Lucas | 2,757 | 11.70 | -1.05 |
| | Green | Jo Jo Holiday | 769 | 3.26 | +1.49 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 23,559 | 100.00 |
| | New Democrat hold | New Democrat hold | Swing | +1.09 |
^ Change is from redistributed results
2003 Ontario general election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | New Democratic | Howard Hampton | 15,666 | 60.12 | +15.38 |
| | Liberal | Geoff McClain | 6,746 | 25.69 | -9.45 |
| | Progressive Conservative | Cathe Hoszowski | 3,343 | 12.83 | -4.36 |
| | Green | Dan King | 305 | 1.17 | |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 26,060 | 100.0 |
1999 Ontario general election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | New Democratic | Howard Hampton | 14,269 | 44.74 |
| | Liberal | Frank Miclash | 11,209 | 35.14 |
| | Progressive Conservative | Lynn Beyak | 5,483 | 17.19 |
| | Independent | Richard Bruyere | 934 | 2.93 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 31,895 | 100.0 |

## 2007 electoral reform referendum

2007 Ontario electoral reform referendum :
| Side | Votes | % |
| First Past the Post | 15,494 | 69.9 |
| Mixed member proportional | 6,684 | 30.1 |
| Total valid votes | 22,178 | 100.0 |