Andrea Horwath MPP, born October 24, 1962, is a Canadian politician who has been the Official Opposition Leader in Ontario since 2018 and the leader of the Ontario New Democratic Party (NDP) since 2009. She has served as a member of the Hamilton Centre MPP since 2004.
She is the first woman to lead the Ontario New Democratic Party and one of only three women to lead a political party with representation in the Ontario provincial legislature (the other two are former Ontario Liberal Party leaders Kathleen Wynne and Lyn McLeod), having been elected at the 2009 Ontario NDP leadership convention.
After 23 years without government or opposition status, Horwath led the Ontario NDP to formal opposition status in the 2018 provincial election.
In the 1997 Canadian federal election, she ran as the NDP candidate in Hamilton West against incumbent Liberal Stan Keyes. Despite her defeat, her second-place position was a major improvement from prior NDP efforts in the riding, and it provided her greater visibility in the city.
Later that year, she was elected to Hamilton City Council for Ward Two, defeating two incumbents who had served in the district for almost 20 years. She became a strong advocate for the city’s political left and was re-elected to council in 2000 and 2003. She led the solid-waste management committee and the municipal non-profit housing company during her three stints on the city council.
Horwath got the EVE award in March 2012, which is presented by Equal Voice, a non-profit organization dedicated to encouraging women in politics. Women from all levels of government have been past honorees.
