Christine Elliott is the second provincial cabinet minister to announce their retirement, the other being Rod Phillips.

However, Elliott is staying on as deputy premier and health minister until the June election.

Premier Doug Ford says it’s sad to see her go.

”More than a colleague, Christine Elliott is a close personal friend.  In fact, our families have been friends for decades starting when my dad and Jim, Christine’s late husband, were seat mates at Queen’s Park,” he adds.

She ran three times for the party leadership, losing to Patrick Brown in 2015 and then to Ford in 2018.

Elliott first ran for the top job in 2009 against Tim Hudak.

First elected MPP in Whitby-Oshawa in 2006, she took three years off following the 2015 leadership defeat to serve as the province’s first patient ombudsman.

Elliott then quit, unsuccessfully sought the leadership and then won re-election in Newmarket-Aurora four years ago.

Her constituency office manager, Dawn Gallagher Murphy, has already been announced as the Tories candidate in the riding.