Doug Ford has been declared the new leader of the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party. Ford won on the third ballot of preferential voting. His win was revealed by the party after a chaotic day that included members being sent home from the Markham convention hall as the party worked to resolve an issue regarding some key ballots. Christine Elliott came in second, 153 points behind Ford on the final ballot. Caroline Mulroney and Tanya Granic Allen, both Ford’s rivals in the race, were on hand for the official announcement. Elliott was not in the room for Ford’s statement.
ISSUE “NOT STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT”
CBC News reported earlier Saturday that Ford had indeed won the snap, six-week leadership race, but party officials decided not to announce any results until outstanding questions over some disputed ballots could be answered. Hartley Lefton, chair of the PC’s leadership election organizing committee, said that the party’s chief electoral officer determined that the issue was not statistically significant enough to change the outcome of the race. — CBC Christine Elliott promised PCs unity, but refuses to unite behind Doug Ford
