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2004 Conservative Party of Canada leadership election

Party election in Canada


Party election in Canada

FieldValue
election_name2004 Conservative Party of Canada leadership election
countryCanada
ongoingno
previous_year[2003 (PC)](2003-progressive-conservative-leadership-election)
2002 (CA)
next_election2017 Conservative Party of Canada leadership election
next_year2017
election_dateMarch 20, 2004
2blankPoints
3blankPercentage
image_sizex150px
image1Harper,-Stephen-Jan-23-06 (cropped).jpg
colour1367D22
candidate1**Stephen Harper**
popular_vote1**67,143**
percentage1**68.9%**
2data1**17,296**
3data1**56.2%**
image2Belinda Stronach 1 (cropped).jpg
colour20D357B
candidate2Belinda Stronach
popular_vote222,286
percentage222.9%
2data210,613
3data234.5%
image3Tony Clement 2012 (3x4).jpg
colour340E0D0
candidate3Tony Clement
popular_vote37,968
percentage38.2%
2data32,887
3data39.4%
titleLeader
before_electionJohn Lynch-Staunton (interim)
after_electionStephen Harper
<!-- map -->map_imageCPC leadership map 2004.png
map_size400px
map_captionResults by Canadian electoral district

2002 (CA)

The 2004 Conservative Party of Canada leadership election took place on March 20, 2004, in Toronto, Ontario, and resulted in the election of Stephen Harper as the first leader of the new Conservative Party of Canada. The Conservative Party was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada, in December 2003.

Stephen Harper, the former leader of the Canadian Alliance, was elected on the first (and only) ballot. Tony Clement, a former Ontario Progressive Conservative health minister, and Belinda Stronach, the former chief executive officer of Magna International, were the other candidates on the ballot.

The leader was selected by a system in which each of the party's riding associations was allocated 100 points, which were allocated among candidates in proportion to the votes that he or she received. This system was selected as a condition of the merger, to prevent the far larger Canadian Alliance membership base from overwhelming that of the Progressive Conservatives.

Members voted using ranked ballots. If no candidate won a majority of votes in the first round, the ballots supporting the candidate with the smallest number of votes would be re-distributed according to the voters' second preferences. Subsequent rounds were not needed, however, because Stephen Harper won in the first round.

Candidates

[[Tony Clement]]

42, Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario Member of Provincial Parliament for Brampton South (1995–2003), provincial Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (2001–2003), provincial Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing (1999–2001), provincial Minister of the Environment (1999–2000), provincial Minister of Transportation (1997–1999), third place candidate in Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario leadership election (2002)

Caucus Endorsements

  • MPs: (5) Gerald Keddy (South Shore, NS), Chuck Strahl (Fraser Valley, BC), Norman Doyle (St. John's East, NL), Art Hanger (Calgary Northeast, AB), Peter Goldring (Edmonton Centre-East, AB)
  • Senators: (2) Brenda Robertson (NB), Wilbert Keon (ON)

[[Stephen Harper]]

44, Reform Party of Canada MP for Calgary West (1993–1997), Canadian Alliance MP for Calgary Southwest (2002–), Leader of the Canadian Alliance (2002–2003), President of the National Citizens Coalition (1998–2002)

Caucus Endorsements

  • MPs: (50) Jim Abbott (Kootenay-Columbia, BC), Diane Ablonczy (Calgary Nose Hill, AB), Rob Anders (Calgary West, AB), David Anderson (Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK), Roy Bailey (Souris—Moose Mountain, SK), Leon Benoit (Lakeland, AB), Garry Breitkreuz (Yorkton—Melville, SK), Andy Burton (Skeena, BC), Chuck Cadman (Surrey North, BC), Rick Casson (Lethbridge, AB), Dave Chatters (Athabasca, AB), John Duncan (Vancouver Island North, BC), Reed Elley (Nanaimo-Cowichan, BC), Ken Epp (Elk Island, AB), Brian Fitzpatrick (Prince Albert, SK), Paul Forseth (New Westminster—Coquitlam—Burnaby, BC), Jim Gouk (Kootenay—Boundary—Okanagan, BC), Gurmant Grewal (Surrey Central, BC), Dick Harris (Prince George-Bulkley Valley, BC), Jay Hill (Prince George-Peace River, BC), Betty Hinton (Kamloops, Thompson and Highland Valleys, BC), Rahim Jaffer (Edmonton-Strathcona, AB), Dale Johnston (Wetaskiwin, AB), Jason Kenney (Calgary Southeast, AB), Gary Lunn (Saanich-Gulf Islands, BC), James Lunney (Nanaimo-Alberni, BC), Philip Mayfield (Cariboo—Chilcotin, BC), Grant McNally (Dewdney-Alouette, BC), Rob Merrifield (Yellowhead, AB), Bob Mills (Red Deer, AB), James Moore (Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC), Deepak Obhrai (Calgary East, AB), Brian Pallister (Portage-Lisgar, MB), Charlie Penson (Peace River, AB), James Rajotte (Edmonton Southwest, AB), Scott Reid (Lanark-Carleton, ON), John Reynolds (West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast, BC), Gerry Ritz (Battlefords-Lloydminster, SK), Werner Schmidt (Kelowna, BC), Carol Skelton (Saskatoon-Rosetown-Biggar, SK), Monte Solberg (Medicine Hat, AB), Kevin Sorenson (Crowfoot, AB), Darrel Stinson (Okanagan-Shuswap, BC), Greg Thompson (New Brunswick Southwest, NB), Myron Thompson (Wild Rose, AB), Vic Toews (Provencher, MB), Maurice Vellacott (Saskatoon-Wanuskewin, SK), Randy White (Langley-Abbotsford, BC), John Williams (St. Albert, AB), Lynne Yelich (Blackstrap, SK)
  • Senators: (2) Gerry St. Germain (BC), David Tkachuk (SK)

[[Belinda Stronach]]

37, CEO of Magna International (2001–)

Caucus Endorsements

  • MPs: (7) Gary Schellenberger (Perth-Middlesex, ON), Bill Casey (Cumberland-Colchester, NS), John Cummins (Delta-South Richmond, BC), Val Meredith (South Surrey-White Rock-Langley, BC), Loyola Hearn (St. John's West, NL), Rex Barnes (Gander—Grand Falls, NL), Inky Mark (Dauphin-Swan River, MB)
  • Senators: (13) David Angus (QC), Ethel Cochrane (NF), Consiglio Di Nino (ON), John Trevor Eyton (ON), J. Michael Forrestall (NS), Noël Kinsella (NB), Pierre Claude Nolin (QC), John Buchanan (NS), Gerald Comeau (NS), Donald Oliver (NS), Marjory LeBreton (ON), Pat Carney (BC), Lenard Gustafson (SK)

Announced they would not run

  • Scott Brison – Progressive Conservative Member of Parliament (later defected to the Liberals)
  • Mike Harris – former premier of Ontario
  • Ralph Klein – Premier of Alberta
  • Bernard Lord – Premier of New Brunswick
  • Peter MacKay – former Progressive Conservative Party Leader
  • Brian Pallister – Canadian Alliance Member of Parliament, later Premier of Manitoba
  • Jim Prentice – Progressive Conservative 2003 leadership race runner up, later Premier of Alberta
  • Bob Runciman – former Ontario public security minister
  • Larry Smith – Publisher of the Montreal Gazette
  • Chuck Strahl – Canadian Alliance Member of Parliament

Results

Candidate1st roundVotes cast%Points allocated%Total97,397100%30,796100%
[[File:Stephen Harper by Remy Steinegger Infobox.jpg50px]]**Stephen Harper****67,143****68.9%****17,296****56.2%**
[[File:Belinda Stronach 2006 Convention.jpg50px]]Belinda Stronach22,28622.9%10,61334.5%
[[File:Tony Clement 2012 B.jpg50px]]Tony Clement7,9688.2%2,8879.4

Points needed to win: 15,401

Each of 308 ridings had 100 points which were distributed by proportional representation according to votes cast by party members in the riding.{{Bar box|title=Votes|titlebar=#ddd|width=600px|barwidth=410px|bars=

The actual vote totals remained confidential when the leadership election results were announced; only the point totals were made public at the time, giving the impression of a race that was much closer than was actually the case. Three years later, Harper's former campaign manager, Tom Flanagan, published the actual vote totals, noting that, among other distortions caused by the equal-weighting system, "a vote cast in Quebec was worth 19.6 times as much as a vote cast in Alberta".

Total expenses

  • Belinda Stronach $2,496,482
  • Stephen Harper $2,073,084
  • Tony Clement $826,807

Timeline

2003

  • December 5 – The Canadian Alliance votes with a 96% majority in favour of merging with the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada.
  • December 6 – The Progressive Conservative Party votes, with 90% of delegates in favour of merging with the Canadian Alliance.
  • December 8 – The Conservative Party of Canada is officially registered with Elections Canada. The party's first interim leader is Senator John Lynch-Staunton, with a formal leadership race scheduled for March 2004.
  • December 10 – Scott Brison, Progressive Conservative MP, crosses the floor, and sits with the Liberal Party of Canada. Brison is the fourth PC MP, out of an original caucus of 15, to decide not to sit with the new Conservative Party of Canada.
  • December 30 – Bernard Lord, Premier of New Brunswick, reconfirms that he will not seek the leadership of the Conservative Party. He had been considered a potential frontrunner.

2004

  • January 12 – Stephen Harper announces his entry into the race to lead the new Conservative Party of Canada. Earlier that day, Jim Prentice drops out of the leadership contest, citing a lack of funds.
  • January 13 – Peter MacKay declares he will not enter the race to lead the new Conservative Party of Canada.
  • January 15 – Auto parts magnate Belinda Stronach and former Ontario Health Minister Tony Clement both announce their intention to run for leadership of the Conservative Party.
  • January 16 – Fraser Valley MP Chuck Strahl announces he will not seek the Conservative leadership, citing financial barriers.
  • January 20 – Belinda Stronach formally announces the launch of her campaign to seek the Conservative leadership. She rounds out the field at three; no other serious contenders are now seen as planning an entry.
  • March 19 – The leadership convention opens in Toronto; the candidates give opening speeches.
  • March 20 – Stephen Harper wins on the first ballot with 56% of points, under the party's weighted voting system.
  • March 22 – Harper names former PC leader Peter MacKay the deputy leader of the Conservative party.

Breakdown by province

ProvinceClementHarperStronachTotal
Newfoundland and Labrador102231369702
Prince Edward Island4185272398
Nova Scotia1104095821,101
New Brunswick514614921,004
Quebec4522,5064,5387,496
Ontario1,6726,0352,89110,598
Manitoba721,0292991,400
Saskatchewan511,1412081,400
Alberta812,3803462,807
British Columbia2302,8784923,600
Yukon66232100
Northwest Territories95339101
Nunavut172856101
Total2,89417,29810,61630,808

Breakdown by riding

Newfoundland and Labrador

RidingClementHarperStronach
Avalon272251
Bonavista—Exploits123653
Humber—St. Barbe—Baie
Verte34552
Labrador05050
Random—Burin—St.
George's133156
St. John's North302645
St. John's South172162

Prince Edward Island

RidingClementHarperStronach
Cardigan111177
Charlottetown93358
Egmont92368
Malpeque121869

Nova Scotia

RidingClementHarperStronach
Cape Breton—Canso92368
Central Nova62470
Dartmouth—Cole Harbour164836
Halifax133849
Halifax West154441
Kings-Hants63757
North Nova63757
Sackville—Eastern Shore105139
South Shore—St. Margaret's163153
Sydney—Victoria92567
West Nova45145

New Brunswick

RidingClementHarperStronach
Acadia-Bathurst6590
Beauséjour25048
Fredericton76429
Fundy95636
Madawaska—Restigouche12673
Miramichi33563
Moncton—Riverview—
Dieppe75043
St. Croix—Belleisle47125
Saint John94547
Tobique—Mactaquac35938

Quebec

RidingClementHarperStronach
Abitibi—Témiscamingue04456
Ahuntsic03565
Alfred-Pellan53758
Argenteuil—Mirabel06338
Beauce02278
Beauharnois—Salaberry231463
Beauport44650
Berthier—Maskinongé31880
Bourassa04654
Brome—Missisquoi45937
Brossard—La Prairie82963
Chambly—Borduas31582
Charlesbourg32374
Charlevoix—Montmorency02080
Châteauguay—Saint-
Constant2791
Chicoutimi—Le Fjord06436
Compton—Stanstead154343
Drummond22771
Gaspésie—Îles-de-la-
Madeleine05050
Gatineau33266
Hochelaga00100
Honoré-Mercier0496
Hull—Aylmer114044
Jeanne-Le Ber122662
Joliette04060
Jonquière—Alma02971
Lac-Saint-Louis83953
La Pointe-de-l'Île71380
LaSalle—Émard63361
Laurentides—Labelle0496
Laurier312643
Laval47224
Laval—Les Îles93457
Lévis—Bellechasse03565
Longueuil03367
Lotbinière—Chutes-de-la-
Chaudière02377
Louis-Hébert72073
Louis-Saint-Laurent34750
Manicouagan21979
Marc-Aurèle-Fortin102367
Matapédia—Matane04753
Mégantic—L'Érable01684
Montcalm33266
Mount Royal255025
Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—
Lachine44056
Nunavik—Eeyou04060
Outremont344026
Papineau173647
Pierrefonds—Dollard173549
Pontiac65539
Portneuf24058
Quebec52569
Repentigny65935
Richelieu145233
Richmond—Arthabaska02179
Rimouski—Témiscouata154638
Rivière-des-Mille-Îles94545
Rivière-du-Loup—
Montmagny0893
Rivière-du-Nord115633
Roberval05248
Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie53362
Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert1594
Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot02674
Saint-Jean283141
Saint-Lambert23067
Saint-Laurent—Cartierville154441
Saint-Léonard—Saint-
Michel0595
Saint-Maurice—Champlain05347
Shefford21681
Sherbrooke03268
Terrebonne—Blainville42076
Trois-Rivières03961
Vaudreuil-Soulanges127216
Vercheres—Les Patriotes01288
Westmount—Ville-Marie303931

Ontario

RidingClementHarperStronach
Ajax-Pickering125732
Algoma—Manitoulin—
Kapuskasing86428
Ancaster—Dundas—
Flamborough —Westdale116721
Barrie95932
Beaches—East York264431
Bramalea—Gore—Malton252847
Brampton—Springdale622810
Brampton West543214
Brant136423
Burlington126027
Cambridge116425
Carleton—Lanark66727
Chatham-Kent—Essex86626
Clarington—Scugog—
Uxbridge76824
Davenport294130
Don Valley East166222
Don Valley West245125
Dufferin—Caledon145630
Eglinton—Lawrence373924
Elgin—Middlesex—London125731
Essex87220
Etobicoke Centre175924
Etobicoke—Lakeshore225126
Etobicoke North204337
Glengarry—Prescott—
Russell57223
Grey—Bruce—Owen Sound76824
Guelph195625
Haldimand—Norfolk106723
Haliburton—Kawartha
Lakes— Brock66728
Halton176419
Hamilton Centre105733
Hamilton East—Stoney
Creek75637
Hamilton Mountain167411
Huron—Bruce135235
Kenora95140
Kingston and the Islands166223
Kitchener Centre126128
Kitchener—Conestoga67024
Kitchener—Waterloo156025
Lanark—Frontenac—
Lennox and Addington77221
Leeds—Grenville56927
London—Fanshawe126820
London North Centre116721
London West97615
Markham—Unionville404020
Middlesex—Kent—Lambton116226
Mississauga—Brampton
South563212
Mississauga East—
Cooksville155431
Mississauga—Erindale215128
Mississauga South186022
Mississauga—Streetsville285121
Nepean—Carleton56926
Newmarket—Aurora73757
Niagara Falls96922
Niagara West—Glanbrook87121
Nickel Belt63460
Nipissing—Timiskaming46234
Northumberland—Quinte
West166420
Oak Ridges—Markham185329
Oakville156520
Oshawa156025
Ottawa Centre96526
Ottawa—Orléans66529
Ottawa South86726
Ottawa—Vanier96031
Ottawa West—Nepean86626
Oxford185428
Parkdale—High Park294328
Parry Sound—Muskoka174933
Perth—Wellington145432
Peterborough97417
Pickering—Scarborough
East115436
Prince Edward—Hastings86626
Renfrew—Nipissing—
Pembroke48215
Richmond Hill193843
St. Catharines156619
St. Paul's344323
Sarnia—Lambton185923
Sault Ste. Marie76825
Scarborough—Agincourt135334
Scarborough Centre145927
Scarborough—Guildwood135532
Scarborough—Rouge River344026
Scarborough Southwest156025
Simcoe—Grey117118
Simcoe North106426
Stormont—Dundas—South
Glengarry67122
Sudbury115039
Thornhill274825
Thunder Bay—Rainy River87319
Thunder Bay—Superior
North284824
Timmins—James Bay53659
Toronto Centre253837
Toronto—Danforth224533
Trinity—Spadina254233
Vaughan422335
Welland86922
Wellington—Halton Hills116424
Whitby—Oshawa185922
Willowdale195525
Windsor—Tecumseh186517
Windsor West12799
York Centre205624
York—Simcoe165232
York South—Weston174637
York West141967

Manitoba

RidingClementHarperStronach
Brandon—Souris47422
Charleswood—St. James56728
Churchill37125
Dauphin—Swan River26731
Elmwood—Transcona27721
Kildonan—St. Paul68113
Portage—Lisgar57421
Provencher48610
Saint Boniface47323
Selkirk—Interlake57817
Winnipeg Centre106723
Winnipeg North67421
Winnipeg South67618
Winnipeg South Centre106426

Saskatchewan

RidingClementHarperStronach
Battlefords—Lloydminster08910
Blackstrap48017
Churchill River2899
Cypress Hills—Grasslands2908
Palliser47719
Prince Albert18613
Regina—Lumsden—Lake
Centre67419
Regina—Qu'Appelle38215
Saskatoon—Humboldt87914
Saskatoon—Rosetown—
Biggar48411
Saskatoon—Wanuskewin2908
Souris—Moose Mountain46829
Wascana66925
Yorkton—Melville58411

Alberta

RidingClementHarperStronach
Athabasca28315
Calgary East48610
Calgary North Centre68113
Calgary Northeast47125
Calgary—Nose Hill58313
Calgary South Centre78013
Calgary Southeast48511
Calgary Southwest4906
Calgary West58312
Crowfoot1927
Edmonton—Beaumont37721
Edmonton Centre47917
Edmonton East28414
Edmonton—Leduc38611
Edmonton—St. Albert28811
Edmonton—Sherwood Park58214
Edmonton—Spruce Grove28316
Edmonton—Strathcona37719
Lethbridge2917
Macleod28711
Medicine Hat1927
Peace River28415
Red Deer2908
Vegreville—Wainwright18910
Westlock—St. Paul18415
Wetaskiwin1945
Wild Rose2909
Yellowhead18911

British Columbia

RidingClementHarperStronach
Abbotsford3934
Burnaby—Douglas98110
Burnaby—New Westminster157510
Cariboo—Prince George28513
Chilliwack—Fraser Canyon26668
Delta—Richmond East66727
Dewdney—Alouette78112
Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca48610
Fleetwood—Port Kells68015
Kamloops—Thompson38512
Kelowna18415
Kootenay—Columbia1918
Langley77815
Nanaimo—Alberni4888
Nanaimo—Cowichan38710
Newton—North Delta37423
New Westminster—
Coquitlam11808
North Okanagan—Shuswap3898
North Vancouver68410
Okanagan—Coquihalla37918
Port Moody—Westwood—
Port Coquitlam186319
Prince George—Peace River18712
Richmond18910
Saanich—Gulf Islands58510
Skeena—Bulkley Valley38214
Southern Interior38413
South Surrey—White Rock
—Cloverdale48214
Surrey North37720
Vancouver Centre105634
Vancouver East66529
Vancouver Island North38810
Vancouver Kingsway117118
Vancouver Quadra107416
Vancouver South147511
Victoria107614
West Vancouver—
Sunshine Coast5914

Yukon

RidingClementHarperStronach
Yukon66232

Northwest Territories

RidingClementHarperStronach
Western Arctic95339

Nunavut

RidingClementHarperStronach
Nunavut172856

References

References

  1. Rachel Décoste. (2008-10-12). "How Much Does it Cost to be a Liberal These Days?". Huffingtonpost.ca.
  2. (March 8, 2016). "Conservative leadership race kicks off with $50,000 entrance fee and $5M spending cap". National Post.
  3. [https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/harper-wins-conservative-leadership-1.508279 "Harper wins Conservative leadership"]. [[CBC News]], March 22, 2004.
  4. (15 March 2004). "Who Supports Whom in Tory Race:". The Hill Times.
  5. Tom Flanagan, ''Harper's Team''. Montreal & Kingston: McGill-Queen's University Press, 2007, pg. 134
  6. [https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/alliance-members-vote-95-9-in-favour-of-merger-1.397973 "Alliance members vote 95.9% in favour of merger"]. [[CBC News]], December 5, 2003.
  7. [https://web.archive.org/web/20070515213159/http://www.cbc.ca/news/story/2003/12/10/brison_031210.html "MacKay slams Brison for joining Liberals"]. [[CBC News]], December 10, 2003.
  8. [https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/stronach-jumps-into-conservative-leadership-race-1.473971 "Stronach jumps into Conservative leadership race"]. [[CBC News]], January 20, 2004.
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