Carol Mitchell

Hon. Carol Mitchell
MPP for Huron—Bruce
In office
October 23, 2003 – 2011
Preceded by Helen Johns
Succeeded by Lisa Thompson
Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 18, 2010
Preceded by Leona Dombrowsky
Personal details
Born Clinton, Ontario
Political party Liberal
Spouse(s) Larry[1]
Children Gabrielle, Jasmine[2]
Residence Toronto
Occupation retailer

Carol Mitchell is a politician in Ontario, Canada. She is the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs in the cabinet of Dalton McGuinty and member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario for the riding of Huron—Bruce. She is a member of the Ontario Liberal Party.

Mitchell was born in Clinton, Ontario[3] in Huron County and was educated at Fanshawe College in London, Ontario. She worked in retailing after her graduation, and ran stores selling children's clothes in Clinton and Bayfield. She was elected to Clinton's town council in 1993, and became its reeve later in the decade. She also served on the Huron County council, and was elected as the first reeve of the amalgamated municipality of Central Huron. She was elected as warden of Huron County in 1999 and 2000.

She won the Liberal nomination for Huron—Bruce in 2002, and defeated incumbent Progressive Conservative cabinet minister Helen Johns in the 2003 election by about 3,000 votes. On October 23, 2003, she was named parliamentary assistant to Steve Peters, the Ontario Minister of Agriculture and Food. In March 2006, Mitchell was named Parliamentary Assistant to David Caplan, the Minister of Public Infrastructure Renewal.

On January 18, 2010, Mitchell was named Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs as part of a cabinet shuffle by Premier Dalton McGuinty. Prior to that, Premier McGuinty appointed Mitchell as Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Agriculture and Food in October 2003. In March 2006, she was appointed Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Public Infrastructure Renewal. Upon re-election in the fall of 2007, Mitchell was named the Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, with a concentration on Municipal Affairs.

Mitchell has sat on many committees during her time at Queens Park including the Poverty Reduction Strategy Committee, the Results Table Committee for the Poverty Reduction Strategy, the Health and Social Services Policy Committee, and the Standing Committees on Social Policy, Government Agencies, Finance and Economic Affairs and General Government. She was also an inaugural member of the Rural and Northern Health Panel.

Electoral record

Ontario general election, 2007
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
     Liberal Carol Mitchell 20,461 46.0%
     Progressive Conservative Bob Morley 13,566 30.5%
     New Democrat Paul Klopp 5,927 13.3%
     Green Victoria Serda 2,910 6.5%
     Family Coalition Dave Joslin 1,044 2.4%
     Independent DEnnis Valenta 394 0.9%
     Independent Ronald John Stephens 201 0.5%
Ontario general election, 2003
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
     Liberal Carol Mitchell 19,879 45.79% +3.96%
     Progressive Conservative Helen Johns 16,594 38.23% -7.52%
     New Democrat Grant I. Robertson 4,973 11.46% +2.34%
     Green Shelley Hannah 934 2.15% --
     Family Coalition Dave Joslin 902 2.08% -1.21%
     Freedom Robert Sabharwal 127 0.29% --

External links