Ontario Liberal leadership conventions

Ballot-by-ballot results of leadership conventions in the Ontario Liberal Party, a political party in the Province of Ontario, Canada.

Note: Before 1919, the leaders of the Ontario Liberal Party were chosen by the party's elected Members of the Legislative Assembly. There were calls for a more open process as early as 1907.

1919 leadership convention

(Held on June 26, 1919.)

First Ballot:

*DEWART, Hartley 147
*TOLMIE, J.C. 97
*ELLIOTT, J.C. 37
*PROUDFOOT, William 23
*McMILLAN, Thomas 8

Second Ballot:

*DEWART, Hartley 158
*TOLMIE, J.C. 121
*ELLIOTT, J.C. 24

1922 leadership convention

(Held on March 3, 1922.)

*HAY, Wellington won with clear majority
*TOLMIE, J.C.
*SINCLAIR, William

(Note: The vote totals do not appear to have been announced.)

1930 leadership convention

(Held in December 1930.)

*HEPBURN, Mitchell 427
*PHILPOTT, Elmore 97

*William Sinclair and Sydney Tweed both withdrew from the race before balloting.

1943 leadership convention

(Held on April 30, 1943.)

*NIXON, Harry 418
*ROEBUCK, Arthur 85
*McQUESTON, Thomas 40
*THOMSON, Walter 22

1945 leadership convention

(Held on April 2, 1945.)

*HEPBURN, Mitchell acclaimed

[Hepburn was defeated in the 1945 provincial election, and Farquhar Oliver was chosen as the Ontario Liberal Party's parliamentary leader on July 4, 1945. It is assumed that Oliver was confirmed as leader without opposition at a subsequent party convention.]

1950 leadership convention

(Held on November 10, 1950.)

First Ballot:

*THOMSON, Walter 296
*CASSIDY, Harry 156
*BROWN, John G. 149
*CALDER, Campbell 69
*HICKS, A.H. 28
*COX, C.W. 24
*HIPEL, Norman 12
*SULLIVAN, J.J. 4

Second Ballot (Sullivan eliminated; Hicks, Cox and Hipel withdrew):

*THOMSON, Walter 334
*CASSIDY, Harry 194
*BROWN, John G. 166
*CALDER, Campbell 50

Third Ballot (Calder eliminated):

*THOMSON, Walter 365
*CASSIDY, Harry 220
*BROWN, John G. 116

1954 leadership convention

(Held on April 9, 1954.)

*OLIVER, Farquhar 412
*WREN, Albert 162
*TEMPLE, Bob 46

1958 leadership convention

(Held on April 20, 1958.)

First Ballot:

*HARRIS, Walter 304
*WINTERMEYER, John 264
*GREENE, Joe 88
*SINGER, Vernon 43
*WHICHER, Ross 39
*REAUME, Arthur 32
*WREN, Albert 7

Wren eliminated; Whicher and Reaume withdrew.

Second Ballot:

*WINTERMEYER, John 369
*HARRIS, Walter 354
*GREENE, Joe45
*SINGER, Vernon 21

Singer eliminated.

Third Ballot:

*WINTERMEYER, John 398
*HARRIS, Walter 349
*GREENE, Joe 14

1964 leadership convention

(Held on September 19-20, 1964.)

First Ballot:

*THOMPSON, Andrew 379
*TEMPLETON, Charles 317
*NIXON, Robert 313
*GREENE, Joe 236
*COPPS, Victor 61
*SARGENT, Eddie 51
*GOULD, Joseph 13

Second Ballot (Gould eliminated):

*THOMPSON, Andrew 408
*TEMPLETON, Charles 356
*NIXON, Robert 351
*GREENE, Joe 211
*COPPS, Victor 27
*SARGENT, Eddie 20

Third Ballot (Sargent eliminated):

*THOMPSON, Andrew 462
*TEMPLETON, Charles 396
*NIXON, Robert 356
*GREENE, Joe 149
*COPPS, Victor 10

Fourth Ballot (Copps eliminated):

*THOMPSON, Andrew 520
*TEMPLETON, Charles 422
*NIXON, Robert 387
*GREENE, Joe 37

Fifth Ballot (Greene eliminated):

*THOMPSON, Andrew 539
*TEMPLETON, Charles 419
*NIXON, Robert 392

Sixth Ballot (Nixon eliminated):

*THOMPSON, Andrew 772
*TEMPLETON, Charles 540

1967 leadership convention

(Held on January 6, 1967.)

*NIXON, Robert acclaimed

(Nixon announced his resignation as party leader in 1972, but subsequently entered the race to succeed himself in 1973.)

1973 leadership convention

(Held on October 28, 1973.)

First Ballot:

*NIXON, Robert 730
*CAFIK, Norman 574
*DEACON, Donald 402
*HOULTON, Michael 11

Second Ballot:

*NIXON, Robert 768
*CAFIK, Norman 613
*DEACON, Donald 316

Third Ballot (Deacon endorsed Nixon):

*NIXON, Robert 922
*CAFIK, Norman 675

1976 leadership convention

(Held on January 25, 1976.)

First Ballot:

*SMITH, Stuart 629
*PETERSON, David 518
*ROY, Albert 469
*MACGUIGAN, Mark 308
*CONDON, Larry 37
*HOULTON, Michael 4

Second Ballot:

*SMITH, Stuart 742
*PETERSON, David 673
*ROY, Albert 513

Third Ballot:

*SMITH, Stuart 998
*PETERSON, David 953

1982 leadership convention

(Held on February 21, 1982).

First Ballot:

*PETERSON, David 966
*COPPS, Sheila 636
*THOMAS, Richard 234
*BREITHAUPT, Jim 130
*SWEENEY, John 122

Second Ballot (Sweeney eliminated, Breithaupt withdrew):

*PETERSON, David 1136
*COPPS, Sheila 774
*THOMAS, Richard 148

1992 leadership convention

(Held February 8-9, 1992, in Hamilton, Ontario.)

First Ballot:

*ELSTON, Murray 740
*McLEOD, Lyn 667
*SORBARA, Greg 345
*BEER, Charles 247
*MAHONEY, Steve 236
*RAMSAY, David 216

Second Ballot (Ramsay eliminated, released delegates):

*ELSTON, Murray 767
*McLEOD, Lyn 744
*SORBARA, Greg 380
*BEER, Charles 307
*MAHONEY, Steve 213

Third Ballot (Mahoney eliminated, supported McLeod):

*McLEOD, Lyn 873
*ELSTON, Murray 865
*SORBARA, Greg 402
*BEER, Charles 289

Fourth Ballot (Beer eliminated, released delegates):

*McLEOD, Lyn 1049
*ELSTON, Murray 988
*SORBARA, Greg 341

Fifth Ballot (Sorbara eliminated, released delegates):

*McLEOD, Lyn 1162
*ELSTON, Murray 1153

(Note: There were 21 spoiled ballots on the final count, mostly from diehard supporters of Sorbara.)

1996 leadership convention

(Held November 30-December 1, 1996 in Toronto, Ontario)

First Ballot (results announced 7:31 pm, November 30):

*KENNEDY, Gerard 770
*CORDIANO, Joseph 557
*DUNCAN, Dwight 464
*McGUINTY, Dalton 450
*GERRETSEN, John 152
*CASTRILLI, Anna-Marie 141
*KELLS, Greg 24

Second Ballot (results announced 10:25 pm, November 30; Kells eliminated; Castrilli initially withdrew from the ballot but subsequently returned, causing a delay in voting):

*KENNEDY, Gerard 775
*CORDIANO, Joseph 570
*DUNCAN, Dwight 474
*McGUINTY, Dalton 440
*GERRETSEN, John 124
*CASTRILLI, Anna-Marie 122

Third Ballot (results announced 12:39 am, December 1; Castrilli eliminated and Gerretsen withdrew, both supported McGuinty):

*KENNEDY, Gerard 803
*CORDIANO, Joseph 601
*McGUINTY, Dalton 601
*DUNCAN, Dwight 509

Fourth Ballot (results announced 2:35 am, December 1; Duncan eliminated, supported Kennedy):

*KENNEDY, Gerard 968
*McGUINTY, Dalton 760
*CORDIANO, Joseph 696

Fifth Ballot (results announced 4:25 am, December 1; Cordiano eliminated, supported McGuinty):

*McGUINTY, Dalton 1205
*KENNEDY, Gerard 1065