Michael Mantha

Michael Mantha
MPP
Member of the Ontario Provincial Parliament
for Algoma—Manitoulin
Incumbent
Assumed office
October 6, 2011
Preceded byMike Brown
Personal details
Political partyIndependent (2023-present)
Other political
affiliations		New Democratic (2011-2023)
SpousePauline
Children2
Residence(s)Elliot Lake, Ontario
OccupationAdministrative assistant

Michael E. Mantha[1] is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He was elected as New Democratic member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario until his removal from the Ontario NDP caucus on March 31, 2023, after which he sat as an independent. He was first elected in 2011. He represents the riding of Algoma—Manitoulin.

Background

Prior to his election, Mantha was a staffer in the riding office of Carol Hughes, the federal Member of Parliament for Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing. He lives in Elliot Lake, Ontario with his wife Pauline and their two sons.[2]

Politics

Mantha ran in the 2011 provincial election as the New Democratic candidate in the riding of Algoma—Manitoulin. He defeated Liberal incumbent Mike Brown by 4,188 votes.[3][4] He was re-elected in the 2014 provincial election defeating Liberal candidate Craig Hughson by 7,668 votes.[5] Mantha was re-elected in the 2022 Ontario general election.[6]

He served the party's critic for a number of portfolios, including Northern Development and Mines, Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation[7] and Northern Development and Tourism.[8]

Mantha has introduced several pieces of legislation, including a motion that was unanimously passed to create a lyme disease strategy in Ontario.[9][10]

On April 1, 2023, Ontario NDP leader Marit Stiles removed Mantha from the caucus pending the results of an investigation into alleged misconduct involving a staffer. The decision was made after Stiles received an interim report on the allegations.[11]

On August 15, 2023, Mantha was permanently removed from the NDP caucus after a third-party investigation found that the allegations of workplace misconduct levied against him were substantiated.[12]

Electoral record

2022 Ontario general election: Algoma—Manitoulin
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
New Democratic Michael Mantha 11,252 45.93 −12.63 $56,480
Progressive Conservative Cheryl Fort 8,692 35.48 +11.03 $39,185
Liberal Tim Vine 2,133 8.71 +0.61 $28,774
New Blue Ron Koski 1,302 5.31   $1,144
Green Maria Legault 764 3.12 −0.39 $381
Ontario Party Frederick Weening 356 1.45   $0
Total valid votes/expense limit 24,499 99.34 +0.26 $91,463
Total rejected, unmarked, and declined ballots 164 0.66 -0.26
Turnout 24,663 42.47 -10.61
Eligible voters 57,522
New Democratic hold Swing −11.83
Source(s)
  • "Summary of Valid Votes Cast for Each Candidate" (PDF). Elections Ontario. Archived from the original on 2023-05-18.
  • "Statistical Summary by Electoral District" (PDF). Elections Ontario. Archived from the original on 2023-05-21.
2018 Ontario general election: Algoma—Manitoulin
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
New Democratic Michael Mantha 17,105 58.56 +5.15
Progressive Conservative Jib Turner 7,143 24.45 +7.15
Liberal Charles Fox 2,365 8.10 –16.41
Northern Ontario Tommy Lee 1,366 4.68
Green Justin Tilson 1,025 3.51 +0.39
Libertarian Kalena Mallon-Ferguson 207 0.71 –0.95
Total valid votes 29,211 100.00
Turnout 55.7
Eligible voters 52,405
New Democratic hold Swing –1.22
Source: Elections Ontario[13]
2014 Ontario general election: Algoma—Manitoulin
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
New Democratic Michael Mantha 14,171 53.41 +8.89
Liberal Craig Hughson 6,504 24.51 −3.91
Progressive Conservative Jib Turner 4,589 17.30 −6.30
Green Alexandra Zalucky 828 3.12 +0.49
Libertarian Richard Hadidian 441 1.66
Total valid votes 26,533 100.00 +1.93
Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots 327 1.22 +0.71
Turnout 26,860 49.38 −0.05
Eligible voters 54,395   +2.75
New Democratic hold Swing +6.40
Source(s)
Elections Ontario. "Official Return from the Records, 002 Algoma-Manitoulin" (PDF). Retrieved 22 March 2015.
2011 Ontario general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
New Democratic Michael Mantha 11,585 44.52 +7.57
Liberal Michael A. Brown 7,397 28.42 -14.14
Progressive Conservative Joe Chapman 6,141 23.60 +9.58
Green Jason Tilson 684 2.63 -2.52
Family Coalition David Hoffman 217 0.83 -0.50
Total valid votes 26,024 100.0
Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots 134 0.51
Turnout 26,158 49.43
Eligible voters 52,919
New Democratic gain from Liberal Swing +10.86
Source: Elections Ontario[14]

References

  1. ^ @ONPARLeducation (13 July 2022). "Within the halls of the Legislature are walls that contain the names of every Member of Provincial Parliament elected to Ontario's Legislature since 1867. The names for the 42nd Parliament were recently added. For the first time a Member's name was inscribed in Oji-Cree syllabics" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  2. ^ Russell, Rosalind (October 4, 2011). "Provincial Election this Thursday - time to vote". Mid-North Monitor.
  3. ^ "Summary of Valid Ballots Cast for Each Candidate" (PDF). Elections Ontario. October 6, 2011. p. 1. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 30, 2013. Retrieved 2014-03-02.
  4. ^ "NDP's Mantha wins Algoma-Manitoulin". Elliot Lake Standard. October 6, 2011.
  5. ^ "General Election by District: Algoma-Manitoulin". Elections Ontario. June 12, 2014. Archived from the original on July 2, 2014.
  6. ^ "NDP Michael Mantha is re-elected in Algoma—Manitoulin". The Toronto Star. 2022-06-02. ISSN 0319-0781. Retrieved 2022-06-03.
  7. ^ Reevely, David (June 25, 2014). "Horwath sticks around, names NDP shadow cabinet".
  8. ^ "Michael Mantha". Retrieved June 26, 2022.
  9. ^ "Committee Transcript 2015-Jun-01 | Legislative Assembly of Ontario". www.ola.org. Retrieved 2022-06-27.
  10. ^ "Ontario urged to do more to diagnose, treat Lyme disease". CBC. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  11. ^ D'Mello, Colin (April 1, 2023). "Ontario NDP ejects Michael Mantha from caucus over 'misconduct' allegations". Global News. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
  12. ^ "Ontario MPP permanently removed from party after misconduct allegations substantiated". Toronto. 2023-08-15. Retrieved 2023-08-15.
  13. ^ "Summary of Valid Votes Cast for each Candidate" (PDF). Elections Ontario. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  14. ^ Elections Ontario (2011). "Official return from the records / Rapport des registres officiels - Algoma—Manitoulin" (PDF). Retrieved 1 June 2014.[permanent dead link‍]