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 represented the riding of Algoma—Manitoulin until his defeat in the 2025 Ontario general election.
Michael Mantha | |
|---|---|
 Mantha in 2019 | |
| Member of the Ontario Provincial Parliament for Algoma—Manitoulin | |
| In office October 6, 2011 – January 28, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Mike Brown |
| Succeeded by | Bill Rosenberg |
| Personal details | |
| Party | Independent (2023–present) |
Other political affiliations | New Democratic (2011–2023) |
| Spouse | Pauline |
| Children | 2 |
| Occupation | Administrative assistant |
Background
editPrior 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
editMantha 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 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]
He stood for re-election as an independent but was defeated.
Electoral record
edit| 2025 Ontario general election: Algoma—Manitoulin | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| Progressive Conservative | Bill Rosenberg | 11,263 | 41.33 | +5.85 | $69,335 | |||
| New Democratic | David Timeriski | 7,409 | 27.19 | -18.74 | $38,229 | |||
| Liberal | Reg Niganobe | 3,948 | 14.49 | +5.78 | $10,822 | |||
| Independent | Michael Mantha | 3,238 | 11.88 | N/A | $22,791 | |||
| New Blue | Sheldon Pressey | 717 | 2.63 | -2.68 | $224 | |||
| Green | Maria Legault | 677 | 2.48 | -0.63 | $40 | |||
| Total valid votes/expense limit | 27,252 | 99.08 | –0.26 | $102,206 | ||||
| Total rejected, unmarked, and declined ballots | 253 | 0.92 | +0.26 | |||||
| Turnout | 27,505 | 48.93 | +6.46 | |||||
| Eligible voters | 56,213 | |||||||
| Progressive Conservative gain from New Democratic | Swing | +12.30 | ||||||
| Source: Elections Ontario[13] | ||||||||
| 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)
| ||||||||
| 2018 Ontario general election: Algoma—Manitoulin | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| New Democratic | Michael Mantha | 17,105 | 58.56 | +5.15 | $71,665 | |||
| Progressive Conservative | Jib Turner | 7,143 | 24.45 | +7.15 | $32,275 | |||
| Liberal | Charles Fox | 2,365 | 8.10 | –16.41 | $28,755 | |||
| Northern Ontario | Tommy Lee | 1,366 | 4.68 | N/A | $0 | |||
| Green | Justin Tilson | 1,025 | 3.51 | +0.39 | $208 | |||
| Libertarian | Kalena Mallon-Ferguson | 207 | 0.71 | –0.95 | none listed | |||
| Total valid votes | 29,211 | 99.08 | +0.30 | |||||
| Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots | 270 | 0.92 | –0.30 | |||||
| Turnout | 29,481 | 53.08 | +3.70 | |||||
| Eligible voters | 55,544 | |||||||
| New Democratic hold | Swing | –1.22 | ||||||
| Source: Elections Ontario[14][15][16] | ||||||||
| 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 March 22, 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[17] | ||||||||
References
edit- ↑ @ONPARLeducation (July 13, 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.
- ↑ Russell, Rosalind (October 4, 2011). "Provincial Election this Thursday - time to vote". Mid-North Monitor.
- ↑ "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 March 2, 2014.
- ↑ "NDP's Mantha wins Algoma-Manitoulin". Elliot Lake Standard. October 6, 2011.
- ↑ "General Election by District: Algoma-Manitoulin". Elections Ontario. June 12, 2014. Archived from the original on July 2, 2014.
- ↑ "NDP Michael Mantha is re-elected in Algoma—Manitoulin". The Toronto Star. June 2, 2022. ISSN 0319-0781. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
- ↑ Reevely, David (June 25, 2014). "Horwath sticks around, names NDP shadow cabinet".
- ↑ "Michael Mantha". Retrieved June 26, 2022.
- ↑ "Committee Transcript 2015-Jun-01 | Legislative Assembly of Ontario". www.ola.org. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
- ↑ "Ontario urged to do more to diagnose, treat Lyme disease". CBC. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
- ↑ D'Mello, Colin (April 1, 2023). "Ontario NDP ejects Michael Mantha from caucus over 'misconduct' allegations". Global News. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
- ↑ DeClerq, Katherine (August 15, 2023). "Ontario MPP permanently removed from party after misconduct allegations substantiated". CTV News Toronto. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
- ↑ "VOTE TOTALS FROM OFFICIAL TABULATION" (PDF). Elections Ontario. March 3, 2025. Retrieved March 4, 2025.
- ↑ "Summary of Valid Votes Cast for each Candidate" (PDF). Elections Ontario. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
- ↑ "Political Financing and Party Information". Elections Ontario. Retrieved March 4, 2025.
- ↑ "Data Explorer". Elections Ontario. Retrieved March 4, 2025.
- ↑ Elections Ontario (2011). "Official return from the records / Rapport des registres officiels - Algoma—Manitoulin" (PDF). Retrieved June 1, 2014.[permanent dead link]