She is still the leader of the third party but NDP leader Andrea Horwath is campaigning with growing confidence knowing she's rising in the polls.
Horwath made her first campaign stop in Ottawa Sunday at the Glebe Centre on Bank Street. About two hundred people were there to greet her, far more than the party expected. One NDP staffer told CTV News the event was the leader's largest gathering since the campaign began earlier this month.
"No matter where people live in our province, it's clear folks want change and the issue becomes what kind of change do we want for the province," Horwath told supporters.
The leader began her appearance by introducing her slate of Ottawa area candidates before unveiling her party's platform for Eastern Ontario. That platform includes an end to hospital job cuts, an annual 5.3% funding increase for hospitals, a pledge to pay for 50% of Ottawa's operating costs for its new LRT system and free dental care. The full plan can be viewed here.
The NDP only has one seat of in the region and that's in Oshawa.
Ottawa-Centre candidate Joel Harden believes the party is gaining momentum and said he's confident the NDP will take the seat from Yasir Naqvi and the Liberal Party.
"We have been knocking on doors six days a week for six hours a day since November," Harden said. "We are really excited with this boost the party is getting because people are actually taking a look at Andrea and seeing what she is capable of."
Harden said he is repeatedly meeting people at the door who are switching to the NDP.
"We are drawing the disaffected Liberals and Conservatives," he said."I think we have a real chance in Ottawa Centre and in other ridings. Stay tuned"
One of those voters is Gill Balwinder. A taxi driver for 35 years, Balwinder said he is frustrated with Liberals and Conservatives for failing to make insurance better for taxi drivers and commercial drivers.
"I'm a Liberal supporter in the previous (elections) but now I'm changing my mind because they haven't done anything for us," he said.
Recent polls suggest Horwath is gaining support from disenfranchised voters like Balwinder as well as voters who are looking for an alternative to Doug Ford. A poll by Abacus data shows the Conservatives at 35% among decided voters compared to the NDP's 34% and the Liberals 24% with 18 days left in the campaign.
It's strategic voting that is drawing Matt Skinner to the party.
"I've always voted PC or CPC federally, but I don't think a Doug Ford majority will be good for Ontario," Skinner said, adding that he hopes a vote for the NDP will result in a Conservative minority.