Progressive Conservative leadership elections

The first Progressive Conservative Party of Canada leadership election was held in 1927, when the party was called the Conservative Party. Prior to then the party's leader was chosen by the caucus.

There have been two permanent leaders since 1927 who were not chosen by a leadership convention. Arthur Meighen agreed to serve a second term as leader in 1941 on condition that he would not have to contest the position. The party agreed since the party was desperate for a leader of Meighen's stature. Jean Charest was one of only two Progressive Conservative Members of Parliament returned in the 1993 election and was appointed leader by the party's executive with the decision later being affirmed at a regular party convention two years later. The Conservative Party became the Progressive Conservative Party in 1942.

All leadership conventions were delegated conventions, except in 1998 when a one-member-one-vote (OMOV) process was used in which each riding was allocated 100 points which were distributed among candidates by proportional representation. For the 2003 leadership election, the party reverted to use of a delegated convention, obstensibly because of the cost of using an OMOV process though it has been argued that the party feared that use of OMOV would make an outside takeover of the party easier due to a decline in membership. In 2003, the party merged with the Canadian Alliance to form a new Conservative Party of Canada. This party adopted the OMOV process the Tories had used in 1998.

Note on tables: Green box indicates winner. Pink box indicates candidate eliminated from ballot for receiving the fewest votes. Blue box indicates candidate withdrew from balloting.

1927 Conservative leadership convention

Held in Winnipeg, Manitoba on October 11, 1927.

Delegate support by ballot
Candidate 1st ballot 2nd ballot
Votes cast % Votes cast %
BENNETT, Richard Bedford 594 38.0% 780 50.2%
GUTHRIE, Hugh 345 22.0% 320 20.6%
CAHAN, Charles Hazlitt 310 19.8% 266 17.1%
MANION, Robert James 170 10.9% 148 9.5%
ROGERS, Robert 114 7.3% 37 2.4%
DRAYTON, Henry Lumley 31 2.0% 3 0.2%
Total 1,564 100.0% 1,554 100.0%

George Halsey Perley, H. H. Stevens, John Allister Currie, John Baxter, Howard Ferguson, Edgar Nelson Rhodes, and outgoing leader Arthur Meighen were all nominated but declined to run.[1]

1938 Conservative leadership convention

Held in Ottawa, Ontario on July 7, 1938.

Delegate support by ballot
Candidate 1st ballot 2nd ballot
Votes cast % Votes cast %
MANION, Robert James 726 46.4% 830 53.0%
MACPHERSON, Murdoch Alexander 475 30.3% 648 41.4%
HARRIS, Joseph Henry 131 8.4% 49 3.1%
MASSEY, Denton 128 8.2% 39 2.5%
LAWSON, James Earl 105 6.7% Eliminated
Total 1,565 100.0% 1,566 100.0%

Manion lost his seat in the 1940 federal election and R.B. Hanson became interim leader. In November 1941 a national conference of the party voted against having a leadership convention and instead appointed Arthur Meighen as the party's wartime leader. Meighen was defeated in a 1942 by-election and resigned.

1942 (Progressive) Conservative leadership convention

Held in Winnipeg, Manitoba on December 11, 1942.

Delegate support by ballot
Candidate 1st ballot 2nd ballot
Votes cast % Votes cast %
BRACKEN, John 420 48.3% 538 61.7%
MACPHERSON, Murdoch Alexander 222 25.5% 255 29.2%
DIEFENBAKER, John George 120 13.8% 79 9.1%
GREEN, Howard Charles 88 10.1% Withdrew
STEVENS, Henry Hubert 20 2.3% Eliminated
Total 870 100.0% 872 100.0%

1948 Progressive Conservative leadership convention

Held in Ottawa, Ontario on October 2, 1948.

First Ballot
Candidate Delegate Support Percentage
DREW, George Alexander 827 66.6%
DIEFENBAKER, John George 311 25.0%
FLEMING, Donald Methuen 104 8.4%
Total 1,242 100%

Wilfrid Garfield Case announced his candidacy but withdrew before the convention to support Drew.

1956 Progressive Conservative leadership convention

Held in Ottawa, Ontario on December 14, 1956.

First Ballot
Candidate Delegate Support Percentage
DIEFENBAKER, John George 774 60.3%
FLEMING, Donald Methuen 393 30.6%
FULTON, Edmund Davie 117 9.1%
Total 1,284 100%

1967 Progressive Conservative leadership convention

The 1967 leadership convention was held in Toronto, Ontario on September 9, 1967.

Delegate support by ballot
Candidate 1st ballot 2nd ballot 3rd ballot 4th ballot 5th ballot
Votes cast % Votes cast % Votes cast % Votes cast % Votes cast %
STANFIELD, Robert Lorne 519 23.3% 613 27.7% 717 32.7% 865 40.1% 1,150 54.3%
ROBLIN, Dufferin (Duff) 347 15.6% 430 19.4% 541 24.7% 771 35.7% 969 45.7%
FULTON, Edmund Davie 343 15.4% 346 15.7% 361 16.5% 357 16.5% Endorsed Stanfield
HEES, George Harris 295 13.2% 299 13.5% 277 12.6% Endorsed Stanfield
DIEFENBAKER, John George 271 12.2% 172 7.8% 114 5.2% Endorsed Roblin
MCCUTCHEON, Malcolm Wallace 137 6.1% 76 3.4% Endorsed Stanfield
HAMILTON, Francis Alvin George 136 6.1% 127 5.8% 106 4.8% 167 7.7% Did not endorse
FLEMING, Donald Methuen 126 5.7% 115 5.2% 76 3.5% Endorsed Stanfield
STARR, Michael 45 2.0% 34 1.5% Did not endorse
MACLEAN, John 10 0.4% Withdrew because he did not want the convention “to go too late”
WALKER-SAWKA, Mary 2 - Did not endorse
Total 2,231 100.0% 2,212 100.0% 2,192 100.0% 2,160 100.0% 2,119 100.0%

1976 Progressive Conservative leadership convention

The 1976 leadership convention was held in Ottawa, Ontario on February 22, 1976.

Delegate support by ballot
Candidate 1st ballot 2nd ballot 3rd ballot 4th ballot
Votes cast % Votes cast % Votes cast % Votes cast %
WAGNER, Claude 531 22.5% 667 28.5% 1,003 42.8% 1,122 48.6%
MULRONEY, Martin Brian 357 15.1% 419 17.9% 369 15.8% Did not endorse
CLARK, Charles Joseph (Joe) 277 11.7% 532 22.8% 969 41.4% 1,187 51.4%
HORNER, John Henry (Jack) 235 10.0% 286 12.2% Endorsed Wagner
MACDONALD, Flora Isabel 214 9.1% 239 10.2% Endorsed Clark
HELLYER, Paul Theodore 231 9.8% 118 5.1% Endorsed Wagner
STEVENS, Sinclair McKnight 182 7.7% Endorsed Clark
FRASER, John Allen 127 5.4% 34 1.5% Endorsed Clark
GILLIES, James McPhail 87 3.7% Endorsed Clark
NOWLAN, John Patrick (Pat) 86 3.6% 42 1.8% Endorsed Wagner
GRAFFTEY, William Heward 33 1.4% Endorsed Clark
Total 2,360 100.0% 2,337 100.0% 2,341 100.0% 2,309 100.0%

Richard Quittenton withdrew from the race before the convention began.

1983 Progressive Conservative leadership convention

The 1983 leadership convention was held in Ottawa, Ontario on June 11, 1983.

Delegate support by ballot
Candidate 1st ballot 2nd ballot 3rd ballot 4th ballot
Votes cast % Votes cast % Votes cast % Votes cast %
CLARK, Charles Joseph (Joe) 1,091 36.5% 1,085 36.7% 1,058 35.8% 1,325 45.6%
MULRONEY, Martin Brian 874 29.2% 1,021 34.6% 1,036 35.1% 1,584 54.5%
CROSBIE, John Carnell 639 21.4% 781 26.4% 858 29.1% Did not endorse
CROMBIE, David Edward 116 3.9% 67 2.3% Endorsed Crosbie
WILSON, Michael Holcombe 144 4.8% Endorsed Mulroney
POCKLINGTON, Peter Hugh 102 3.4% Endorsed Mulroney
GAMBLE, John Albert 17 0.6% Endorsed Mulroney
FRASER, Neil 5 0.2% Endorsed Mulroney
Total 2,988 100.0% 2,954 100.0% 2,952 100.0% 2,909 100.0%

1993 leadership convention results

The 1993 leadership convention was held in Ottawa, Ontario on June 13, 1993.

Delegate support by ballot
Candidate 1st ballot 2nd ballot
Votes cast % Votes cast %
CAMPBELL, Avril Phædra Douglas (Kim) 1,664 48.0% 1,817 52.7%
CHAREST, John James (Jean) 1,369 39.4% 1,630 47.3%
EDWARDS, James Stewart (Jim) 307 8.9% Endorsed Campbell
TURNER, John Garth 76 2.2% Did not endorse
BOYER, J. Patrick 53 1.5% Endorsed Charest
Total 3,469 100.0% 3,447 100.0%

1995 Progressive Conservative leadership convention

The 1995 leadership convention was held in Hull, Quebec on April 29, 1995 to ratify Jean Charest as leader. Charest had been named interim leader following the 1993 federal election, which reduced the Progressive Conservatives to only two seats, with Charest being the only cabinet minister to win re-election.

Vote to ratify Jean Charest as leader
Candidate Yes No
Votes cast % Votes cast %
CHAREST, John James (Jean) 1,187 96.04% 49 3.96%
Total 1,236

1998 Progressive Conservative leadership election

The 1998 leadership election was held on October 24 and November 14, 1998. The party's finances were in such a bad state that it could not afford a traditional leadership convention. The 1998 election used a point system that allocated 100 points to each riding, regardless of the number of votes cast in the riding. The candidate who won a majority of points (not necessarily a majority of votres) would win the leadership. All party members were eligible to cast a vote. The 100-point-per-riding system was again used by the Conservative Party of Canada in its 2004 leadership race.

Delegate support by ballot
Candidate First Ballot
October 24		 Second Ballot
November 14
Votes cast % Votes cast %
CLARK, Charles Joseph (Joe) 14,592 48.5% 23,321 77.5%
SEGAL, Hugh 5,689 18.9% Endorsed Clark
ORCHARD, David 4,916 16.3% 6,779 22.5%
PALLISTER, Brian William 3,676 12.2% Endorsed Clark
FORTIER, Michael M. 1,227 4.1% Endorsed Clark
Total 30,100 100.0% 30,100 100.0%

2003 Progressive Conservative leadership convention

The 2006 leadership convention was held in Toronto, Ontario on May 31, 2003.[2]

Delegate support by ballot
Candidate 1st ballot 2nd ballot 3rd ballot 4th ballot
Votes cast % Votes cast % Votes cast % Votes cast %
MACKAY, Peter Gordon 1,080 41.1% 1,018 39.7% 1,128 45.0% 1,538 64.8%
ORCHARD, David 640 24.3% 619 24.1% 617 24.6% Endorsed MacKay
PRENTICE, James (Jim) 478 18.2% 466 18.2% 761 30.4% 836 35.2%
BRISON, Scott A. 431 16.4% 463 18.0% Endorsed Prentice
CHANDLER, Craig B. 0 — Withdrew before 1st ballot began; Endorsed Prentice
Total 2,629 100.0% 2,566 100.0% 2,506 100.0% 2,374 100.0%

Two other candidates had participated in the race. Quebec MP André Bachand withdrew his candidacy from the race due to financial concerns and backed Peter MacKay. Former Cabinet Minister and Quebec MP Heward Grafftey also withdrew his candidacy from the race due to health concerns.

References

  1. ↑ "1927 Conservative Leadership Convention". CPAC. Retrieved April 24, 2014.
  2. ↑ Jon H. Pammett and Christopher Dornan (ed) (2004). The Canadian General Election of 2004. Dundrun Press. p. 81. ISBN 1550025163.