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 Top Map: Results of the first round by plurality of points. Bottom Map: Results of the 3rd (final) round by plurality of points | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 2018 Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario leadership election was held on March 10, 2018,[1][2] due to the resignation of party leader Patrick Brown on January 25, 2018, following allegations of sexual misconduct.[3] Winner Doug Ford narrowly defeated runner-up Christine Elliott on the third ballot with 50.6% of allocated points.
The Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario leadership election was scheduled for 3 months before the 2018 provincial election scheduled for June 7. It came after a turbulent year of disputed and allegedly fraudulent nominations contests across the province for local PC candidates.[4] In two of these contests; Ottawa West—Nepean and Scarborough Centre the nominations were overturned after Brown's resignation and Brown's own nomination in Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte was cancelled.[5] At the time of the leadership election Newmarket—Aurora and five others remained under active investigation by the party[6] and Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas remained under police investigation.[7]
According to Article 23.1 of the PC party constitution, when there is a vacancy in the position of leader, the party caucus chooses an interim leader to serve until a new leader is elected in a leadership election, which must be held within 18 months of the vacancy occurring, and in which all party members can vote.[8] Party president Rick Dykstra told the media on January 25 that "a leadership election will take place at such time as the PC party shall determine in its discretion".[9] The party executive met on January 26, 2018, following the caucus election, to determine whether to have a leadership election before the provincial election, and if so, how it would proceed, or whether to have the interim leader lead the party into the election,[10] and called the leadership election for March 2018.[2]
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
dateswas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b "Ontario PCs to hold leadership race before next election". CBC News. January 26, 2018. Retrieved January 27, 2018.
All 200,000 members of the party will vote on March 24 on a new leader
- ^ "Patrick Brown resigns as Ontario PC leader after sexual misconduct allegations". CBC News. January 25, 2018.
- ^ Zarzour, Kim (July 14, 2017). "More trouble, controversy dog Ontario PC Party". Richmond Hill Liberal. Metroland Media Group. Retrieved January 28, 2018.
- ^ "Patrick Brown only being vetted for Ontario PC leadership because he was stripped of riding nomination: official". National Post. February 20, 2018. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
- ^ Howlett, Karen (February 12, 2018). "Ontario PCS must overturn nomination races plagued by voter-fraud complaints: Officials, activists". The Globe and Mail.
- ^ "Hamilton police launch investigation into PC nomination". CTV Toronto News. February 26, 2018. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
- ^ Furey, Anthony (January 26, 2018). "Ontario PCs will benefit from an early leadership race". Toronto Sun. Retrieved January 28, 2018.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
browngonewas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Ferguson, Rob; Benzie, Robert; Rushowy, Kristin (January 26, 2018). "Tories pick Fedeli as interim leader after Patrick Brown sex scandal, but will hold spring leadership contest". Toronto Star. Retrieved January 28, 2018.