Ontario Liberal Party leadership elections


This is a list of results of leadership elections for the Ontario Liberal Party, a political party in Ontario, Canada.
Note: Before 1919, the leaders of the Ontario Liberal Party were chosen by its elected Members of the Legislative Assembly. There were calls for a more open process as early as 1907.

1919 leadership convention

First ballot:
Second ballot:
Charles Martin Bowman, MPP for Bruce North; W.T.R. Preston, editor of the Port Hope Evening Guide, Rev. W. G. Charlton of Aylmer, and A. J. Young of Toronto were nominated but declined. Frederick Forsyth Pardee, Member of Parliament for Lambton West was to be nominated but sent a message to the convention declining.

1922 leadership convention

W.E.N. Sinclair and Sydney Tweed both withdrew from the race before balloting.

1943 leadership convention

There were 8 spoiled ballots.
Premier Gordon Conant had also been a candidate but collapsed the morning of the leadership vote and withdrew.

1945 leadership election

Harry Nixon resigned as Liberal leader on December 10, 1944 and nominated Hepburn to succeed him as parliamentary leader until a leadership convention could be held. Following the defeat of George Drew's Conservative government in a non-confidence motion, Hepburn was elected Acting Leader on April 2, 1945, at a joint meeting held at the King Edward Hotel of Ontario Liberal MPPs, federal Ontario Liberal MPs the party executive and other party officials in order to lead the party into the election. The move was to be affirmed by a party convention to be held on May 1, but this was cancelled due to the 1945 provincial election being underway.
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.

1947 leadership convention

First ballot:
Second ballot :
Third ballot :
First ballot:
Wren eliminated and endorsed Wintermeyer; Whicher and Reaume withdrew and endorsed Wintermeyer.
Second ballot:
Singer eliminated.
Third ballot:

1967 leadership convention

1976 leadership convention

1982 leadership convention

.
Candidate1st Ballot1st Ballot2nd Ballot2nd Ballot------
NameVotes%Votes%------
David Peterson96646.3113655.2------
Sheila Copps63630.577437.6------
Richard Thomas23411.21487.2------
Jim Breithaupt1306.2------
John Sweeney1225.8------
Votes cast by ballotVotes cast by ballotVotes cast by ballotVotes cast by ballotVotes cast by ballotVotes cast by ballotVotes cast by ballotVotes cast by ballotVotes cast by ballotVotes cast by ballotVotes cast by ballot
Total2088100.02058100.0------

1992 leadership convention

Candidate1st Ballot1st Ballot2nd Ballot2nd Ballot3rd Ballot3rd Ballot4th Ballot4th Ballot5th Ballot 5th Ballot
NameVotes%Votes%Votes%Votes%Votes%
Murray Elston74030.276731.886535.698841.6115349.8
Lyn McLeod66727.274430.987335.9104944.1116250.2
Greg Sorbara34514.138015.840216.634114.3Released delegatesReleased delegates
Charles Beer24710.130712.728911.9Released delegatesReleased delegatesReleased delegatesReleased delegates
Steve Mahoney2369.62138.8Supported McLeodSupported McLeodSupported McLeodSupported McLeodSupported McLeodSupported McLeod
David Ramsay2168.8Released delegatesReleased delegatesReleased delegatesReleased delegatesReleased delegatesReleased delegatesReleased delegatesReleased delegates
Votes cast by ballotVotes cast by ballotVotes cast by ballotVotes cast by ballotVotes cast by ballotVotes cast by ballotVotes cast by ballotVotes cast by ballotVotes cast by ballotVotes cast by ballotVotes cast by ballot
Total2451100.02411100.02429100.02378100.02315100.0

1996 leadership convention

2013 leadership election

2020 leadership election