Wayne Gates


Wayne Gates is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He is a New Democratic member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario who was elected in a by-election in February 2014, and re-elected in the 2014 and 2018 General elections. He represents the riding of Niagara Falls.

Background

Prior to entering provincial politics, Gates was a City Councillor for the City of Niagara Falls, campaign chair for the United Way, and president of a Unifor local in the Niagara Falls, Ontario.

Politics

Gates ran as the federal New Democratic Party's candidate in Niagara Falls in the 2004 federal election and the 2006 federal election finishing third both times.
He was elected as a city councillor in Niagara Falls, Ontario in 2010. In February 2014, he was elected in a provincial by-election in the riding of Niagara Falls. He defeated Progressive Conservative candidate Bart Maves by 962 votes. He was re-elected in the 2014 provincial election defeating PC candidate Bart Maves by 7,424 votes. Gates is the only New Democrat in history to be re-elected in the Niagara Falls riding and holds the record for highest vote tally of any candidate ever in the Niagara Falls provincial riding, at 24,123 votes.
Gates has served in several critic portfolio roles as part of the Ontario NDP caucus, including Transportation, Economic Development, and Consumer Services.
In 2016, he scored a major victory by winning unanimous support for his motion to address lengthy wait times for MRI services in Niagara.

Electoral record