Ontario Liberal Party leadership elections

1919 leadership convention

(Held on June 26, 1919 at the Foresters' Hall, 22 College Street, Toronto.)

First ballot:

Hartley Dewart 147

J.C. Tolmie 97

J.C. Elliott 37

William Proudfoot 23

Thomas McMillan 8

Second ballot:

Hartley Dewart 158

J.C. Tolmie 121

J.C. Elliott 24

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

(Held on March 3, 1922 at the Foresters' Hall, 22 College Street, Toronto.)

Wellington Hay won with clear majority on the first ballot

J.C. Tolmie

W.E.N. Sinclair

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

1930 leadership convention

(Held on December 16–17, 1930 at the King Edward Hotel in Toronto.)

Mitchell Hepburn 427

Elmore Philpott 97

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

1943 leadership convention

(Held on April 30, 1943 at the King Edward Hotel in Toronto.)

Harry Nixon 418

Arthur Roebuck 85

Thomas McQueston 40

Walter Thomson 22

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

1945 leadership election

(Held on April 2, 1945 at the King Edward Hotel in Toronto.)

Mitchell Hepburn acclaimed

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

(Held on May 16, 1947 at the King Edward Hotel in Toronto)

Farquhar Oliver elected

Colin Campbell

Allan A. Lamport

Alvin P. Cadeau

W.A. Gunn

P.M. Dewan and W.A. Moore both withdrew from the race before balloting.

(Note: Complete vote totals were not reported. Oliver received 492 of 661 votes cast)

1950 leadership convention

(Held on November 10, 1950 at the Royal York Hotel in Toronto.)

First ballot:

Walter Thomson 296

Harry Cassidy 156

John G. Brown 149

Campbell Calder 69

Henry Arnott Hicks 28

Charles Winnans Cox 24

Norman Hipel 12

J.J. Sullivan 4

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

Walter Thomson 334

Harry Cassidy 194

John G. Brown 166

Campbell Calder 50

Third ballot (Calder eliminated):

Walter Thomson 365

Harry Cassidy 220

John G. Brown 116

1954 leadership convention

(Held on April 9, 1954 at the Royal York Hotel in Toronto.)

Farquhar Oliver 412

Albert Wren 162

Bob Temple 46

1958 leadership convention

(Held on April 20, 1958 at the King Edward Hotel in Toronto.)

First ballot:

Walter Harris 304

John Wintermeyer 264

Joe Greene 88

Vernon Singer 43

Ross Whicher 39

Arthur Reaume 32

Albert Wren 7

Wren eliminated and endorsed Wintermeyer; Whicher and Reaume withdrew and endorsed Wintermeyer.

Second ballot:

John Wintermeyer 369

Walter Harris 354

Joe Greene45

Vernon Singer 21

Singer eliminated.

Third ballot:

John Wintermeyer 398

Walter Harris 349

Joe Greene 14

1964 leadership convention

(Held on September 19–20, 1964.)

1967 leadership convention

(Held on January 6, 1967 at the Royal York Hotel, Toronto)

NIXON, Robert acclaimed

(Nixon was elected interim leader by the caucus on November 16, 1966 following the resignation of Andrew Thompson. Nixon had suggested that Charles Templeton may become permanent leader but members of his caucus spoke in opposition and Templeton decline to run. Nixon was acclaimed as permanent leader at the party's 1967 convention. He 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.)

1976 leadership convention

(Held on January 24–25, 1976.)

1982 leadership convention

(Held on February 21, 1982).

     = Eliminated from next round      = Withdrew nomination      = Winner

1992 leadership convention

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

     = Eliminated from next round      = Withdrew nomination      = Winner ^A There were 21 spoiled ballots on the final count, mostly from die-hard supporters of Sorbara.

1996 leadership convention

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

     = Eliminated from next round      = Withdrew nomination      = Winner ^A Castrilli initially withdrew from the 2nd ballot but subsequently returned, causing a delay in voting

2013 leadership election

(Held January 26, 2013, in Toronto, Ontario)

     = Eliminated from next round      = Withdrew nomination      = Winner ^A Takhar endorsed Pupatello before the second ballot voting took place, but after the deadline to drop off the ballot.