A primer on recent Ontario elections — wins, losses and swaps in power

Ontario’s political landscape is about to get a shakeup with Thursday’s election.

But it’s far from the first time that has happened. The province has seen several shifts in power and ideologies in the past — not to mention leaders who have polarized public opinion.

READ MORE: How Global News is covering the 2018 Ontario election

Here’s a look back at the province’s previous elections.

Liberals in power

The Liberals been in power since 2003, when the party replaced the Progressive Conservatives government of Ernie Eves.

Dalton McGuinty was elected premier for the first time that year, then won a second term in 2007, and third in 2011. He eventually resigned from the position in February 2013, amid a barrage of criticism and controversies.

READ MORE: Liberal party’s fate hangs in the balance as Ontario heads to the polls

Kathleen Wynne replaced McGuinty, and led the Liberals to a majority win in the 2014 election.

Wynne is the 25th premier of Ontario and has been leader for more than five years.

WATCH: Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne votes in 2018 election

2:20 Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne votes in 2018 Ontario election

PC Party’s previous runs

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The last time Ontario had a PC government was in 2003. Eves was premier from 2002-2003, and took over the party after former premier Mike Harris resigned.

Harris had been premier since 1995, and had won two majority governments. He resigned citing personal reasons during his second term in power.

The PC’s longest run in Ontario legislature spanned the leadership of six premiers from 1943 to 1985.

WATCH: Ontario Election Doug Ford arrives at his mother’s house after casting ballot

0:54 Ontario Election: Doug Ford arrives at his mother’s house after casting ballot

NDP’s one win

Bob Rae is the only New Democrat premier the province has ever seen. Rae became premier in 1990.

The NDP was defeated in the 1995 election, after which Rae resigned as party leader and gave up his seat in Ontario’s legislature.

Since then, Rae has assumed several positions with the federal Liberal Party. He was interim leader from 2011 to 2013, and is currently Canada’s special envoy to Myanmar.

WATCH: NDP leader Andrea Horwath says she still feels the excitement on election day

6:31 ‘It’s exciting’: NDP leader Andrea Horwath says she still feels the excitement on election day

Premiers of Ontario

Ontario has had 25 premiers since 1867.

The province’s first premier was John Sandfield Macdonald, who was in power until 1871 when he fell ill.

READ MORE: Ontario PCs, and Liberals almost entirely ignored the NDP — until it rose in the polls

The province then entered 34 years of Liberal leadership.

There have been 10 Liberal premiers in the province, 12 Conservative, one NDP, and one from the United Farmers of Ontario party.