Nice.
If Whodat 2.0 wins the leadership race, it will be the nail in the coffin for the PCs.
Two-horse race for Ontario PC leadership as Monte McNaughton drops out to back Patrick Brown
Two-horse race for Ontario PC leadership as Monte McNaughton drops out to back Patrick Brown
And then there were two.
Monte McNaughton, MPP for Lambton-Kent-Middlesex, dropped out of the PC leadership race on Thursday and threw his support behind Patrick Brown. That leaves just Brown and Christine Elliott in the race to take over the Ontario PC party, which has been shut out of government since 2003.
McNaughton never amassed the same levels of support as Brown, a sitting MP from Barrie. Bu McNaughton travelled the province and offered a more conservative platform than some of his other contenders. He said in a statement he will continue to oppose Ontario’s new sex ed curriculum, which he said lacked “real” parental consultation. He added that Brown is the best fit to help reform a party that has been trounced at the polls in the last four elections.
“As a fellow conservative, he will reform our party. I look forward to working with him to build a larger, stronger, modern party that will give a voice to every member and reflect the real priorities of Ontario families,” McNaughton said. “Patrick has demonstrated that he has the energy and ability to bring thousands of new members from diverse backgrounds and different points of view into our party, which is exactly what I’ve been saying we need.”
McNaughton also picked up former Toronto Mayor Rob Ford’s support, though Doug Ford endorsed Elliott.
The Brown camp claims to have sold over 40,000 memberships and has been very active across the province, especially in and around the GTA, where Brown has become a fixture in many temples and cultural events. He released a statement late Wednesday boasting over 45,000 members now support him, and they are spread out across the province — an important detail. The leadership race is structured so each of Ontario’s ridings is worth a total of 100 votes, so support concentrated in a handful of ridings is not a path to victory.
Brown has picked up many high-profile endorsements, including Postmedia Network Inc. President and CEO Paul Godfrey and a few federal cabinet ministers.
Elliott’s camp has also boasted adding over 34,000 members and her team says their support is the most spread out. Former contestants Lisa MacLeod and Victor Fedeli have endorsed Elliott, as well as the majority of the PC caucus at Queen’s Park, a number of MPs and federal ministers. They have released a map of Elliott’s support they say details a path to victory.
The party has said over 70,000 new members have joined since the race began, which means one or all of the candidates is inflating membership sales. That’s a common tactic in leadership races, which are harder to track than general elections, as memberships sold can build a narrative of momentum.
Members will vote May 3 and 7 by ranked ballot — now a moot point in a two-horse race — and the results will be announced at a Toronto convention May 9.
Two-horse race for Ontario PC leadership as Monte McNaughton drops out to back Patrick Brown
If Whodat 2.0 wins the leadership race, it will be the nail in the coffin for the PCs.
Two-horse race for Ontario PC leadership as Monte McNaughton drops out to back Patrick Brown
Two-horse race for Ontario PC leadership as Monte McNaughton drops out to back Patrick Brown
And then there were two.
Monte McNaughton, MPP for Lambton-Kent-Middlesex, dropped out of the PC leadership race on Thursday and threw his support behind Patrick Brown. That leaves just Brown and Christine Elliott in the race to take over the Ontario PC party, which has been shut out of government since 2003.
McNaughton never amassed the same levels of support as Brown, a sitting MP from Barrie. Bu McNaughton travelled the province and offered a more conservative platform than some of his other contenders. He said in a statement he will continue to oppose Ontario’s new sex ed curriculum, which he said lacked “real” parental consultation. He added that Brown is the best fit to help reform a party that has been trounced at the polls in the last four elections.
“As a fellow conservative, he will reform our party. I look forward to working with him to build a larger, stronger, modern party that will give a voice to every member and reflect the real priorities of Ontario families,” McNaughton said. “Patrick has demonstrated that he has the energy and ability to bring thousands of new members from diverse backgrounds and different points of view into our party, which is exactly what I’ve been saying we need.”
McNaughton also picked up former Toronto Mayor Rob Ford’s support, though Doug Ford endorsed Elliott.
The Brown camp claims to have sold over 40,000 memberships and has been very active across the province, especially in and around the GTA, where Brown has become a fixture in many temples and cultural events. He released a statement late Wednesday boasting over 45,000 members now support him, and they are spread out across the province — an important detail. The leadership race is structured so each of Ontario’s ridings is worth a total of 100 votes, so support concentrated in a handful of ridings is not a path to victory.
Brown has picked up many high-profile endorsements, including Postmedia Network Inc. President and CEO Paul Godfrey and a few federal cabinet ministers.
Elliott’s camp has also boasted adding over 34,000 members and her team says their support is the most spread out. Former contestants Lisa MacLeod and Victor Fedeli have endorsed Elliott, as well as the majority of the PC caucus at Queen’s Park, a number of MPs and federal ministers. They have released a map of Elliott’s support they say details a path to victory.
The party has said over 70,000 new members have joined since the race began, which means one or all of the candidates is inflating membership sales. That’s a common tactic in leadership races, which are harder to track than general elections, as memberships sold can build a narrative of momentum.
Members will vote May 3 and 7 by ranked ballot — now a moot point in a two-horse race — and the results will be announced at a Toronto convention May 9.
Two-horse race for Ontario PC leadership as Monte McNaughton drops out to back Patrick Brown
