Charmaine Williams ECO MPP is a Canadian politician currently serving as Associate Minister of Women's Social and Economic Opportunity. She was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in the 2022 provincial election, representing the riding of Brampton Centre as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario.

Municipal politics

Williams ran for the vacant Ward 7 & 8 city council seat in the 2018 municipal election. During the campaign, Williams supported a gun amnesty buyback program and supported a municipal by-law banning the sale of marijuana within 500 meters of schools.

On October 22, 2018, Williams was elected receiving 25.76% of the vote in a 9 person race. With her victory, Williams became the first black woman ever elected to Brampton City Council.

On May 31, 2022, during the Ontario provincial election in which Williams was a candidate, Brampton City Council passed a motion to pre-emptively appoint former city councillor Elaine Moore as William's replacement if she were to resign. The motion passed 6–5 with Williams being one of the 6 votes in favor. A court later ruled that the pre-emptive appointment violated the Municipal Act.

Provincial politics

On March 31, 2021, Williams was named Ontario PC candidate for the Brampton Centre riding. On June 2, 2022, she defeated NDP incumbent Sara Singh, receiving 41.36% of the vote.

On June 24, she was appointed to the Ford Ministry as Associate Minister of Women's Social and Economic Opportunity., making her the first black person appointed to cabinet in an Ontario PC government.

Electoral record

vte2025 Ontario general election: Brampton Centre
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Progressive ConservativeCharmaine Williams12,77651.85+10.49
LiberalMartin Medeiros8,35733.84+8.83
New DemocraticSukhamrit Singh2,1618.81–17.85
GreenPauline Thornham9103.73+0.12
New BlueKamal Preet Kaur4341.77–1.59
Total valid votes/expense limit23,92899.37–0.07
Total rejected, unmarked, and declined ballots1510.63+0.07
Turnout24,07935.72–0.95
Eligible voters67,417
Progressive Conservative holdSwing+0.83
Source: Elections Ontario
vte2022 Ontario general election: Brampton Centre
PartyCandidateVotes%±%Expenditures
Progressive ConservativeCharmaine Williams10,11941.36+3.26$71,062
New DemocraticSara Singh6,52226.66-11.71$68,178
LiberalSafdar Hussain6,11925.01+7.68$34,979
GreenKaritsa Tye8823.61+0.47$344
New BlueKathrin Matusiak8213.36N/A$3,010
Total valid votes/expense limit24,46399.40+0.43$93,930
Total rejected, unmarked, and declined ballots1390.60-0.43
Turnout24,60236.67
Eligible voters66,997
Progressive Conservative gain from New DemocraticSwing+7.48
Source(s)(PDF). Elections Ontario. 2022. from the original on May 18, 2023.(PDF). Elections Ontario. 2022. from the original on May 21, 2023.
2018 Brampton Municipal Election: Ward 7 & 8
CandidateVote%
Charmaine Williams5,08625.76
Martin Singh4,40322.30
Karla Bailey3,48917.67
Harveen Dhaliwal3,36417.04
Cheryl Rodricks1,0035.08
Drew Riedstra8244.17
Gurvinder Singh7123.61
Sam Kunjicka5122.59
Mokshi Virk3481.76