Doug Ford says he will remain on duty as premier, flying to meet with American officials in the face of Donald Trump's tariff threat even as he wages a re-election campaign — something opposition politicians say is an inappropriate use of his office and defies democratic norms.

TORONTO — Ontario Premier Doug Ford officially set a provincial election in motion Tuesday for Feb. 27, more than a year before the next fixed election date. The election had been set for June 2026, but Ford said he needs a new mandate to deal with four years of a Donald Trump presidency in the United States.