Steven Del Duca’s biography, net worth, fact, career, awards and life story

Steven Del Duca (born July 7, 1973) is a Canadian politician who is the current Leader of the Ontario Liberal Party since March 7, 2020. He served as Ontario Minister of Transportation and Minister of Economic Growth and Development in the cabinet of Premier Kathleen Wynne. He was the Liberal Ontario MPP for Vaughan from 2012 to 2018. He won the 2020 Ontario Liberal Party leadership election on March 7, 2020 with 59% of the ballot.

Background

Del Duca earned a law degree at Osgoode Hall Law School but has not been called to the bar. He was director of public affairs for the Carpenters’ District Council of Ontario. Previously, he was an aide to Dalton McGuinty when McGuinty was leader of the opposition. He lives with his wife and two daughters in Woodbridge, Ontario.

Del Duca’s younger brother, Michael, was killed in a car crash in June 2018.

Provincial politics

In 2012 he ran as the Liberal candidate in the riding of Vaughan. A by-election was called to replace Greg Sorbara who retired earlier in the year. He defeated the Progressive Conservative candidate Tony Genco. He was re-elected in the 2014 provincial election defeating PC candidate Peter Meffe.

On June 24, 2014, he was appointed to cabinet by Premier Kathleen Wynne as the Minister of Transportation.

In June 2016, the Ministry of Transportation issued a press release about twelve new stations for the GO Transit network, only ten of which had been approved by the Metrolinx board planning the regional transit projects. The board convened in late June to approve the two additional stations, Kirby GO station for the Barrie line, and Lawrence East station as part of the SmartTrack project. Metrolinx reports stated that the Kirby station would have a negative effect on overall ridership on the line.

Del Duca was nominated as the Ontario Liberal Party candidate to be put forward for the riding of Vaughan–Woodbridge.

On June 7, 2018, Del Duca ran for the Ontario Liberal Party in the Ontario Provincial election for Vaughan–Woodbridge, and lost to PC Candidate Michael Tibollo. Del Duca was amongst a wave of Ontario Liberal Party MPPs who lost their seat during that election, removing the Liberal Party from government and relegating them to the third party in Ontario’s legislature.

Del Duca announced on April 3, 2019 that he was going to be entering the Ontario Liberal Party leadership race to be the next leader of the party and lead the Ontario Liberal Party into the 43rd Ontario general election to be held on June 2, 2022.

On March 7, 2020, Del Duca was elected leader of the Ontario Liberal Party in a convention in Mississauga.

Cabinet positions

Municipal politics

Weeks after losing his provincial seat, it was reported that Del Luca would be running to be Chair of York Region in the October 22, 2018 municipal election, but owing to the provincial government’s passing of the Better Local Government Act, there was no election for the post.

Electoral record