Editorial cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday May 9, 2015
Conservative MP Patrick Brown ahead in Tory leadership vote in Hamilton, says party official
As the Progressive Conservative party holds its second vote for its members May 7 on who will be their next leader, in Hamilton, Conservative MP Patrick Brown appears to be in the lead, say party sources.
After the May 3 vote, Brown collected 67 per cent of the votes in all four of Hamilton’s ridings: Hamilton East-Stoney Creek, Ancaster-Flamborough-Dundas-Westdale, Hamilton Mountain, and Hamilton Centre.
Party sources say Brown, who represents Barrie in the House of Commons, is also leading “across the province” after the first ballot over Whitby-Oshawa MPP Christine Elliott.
Brown’s campaign officials stated in a May 3 release they’re “expectations were exceeded” with the “thousands” of people who turned out to vote for Brown.
When asked to comment on Brown’s lead, Elliott’s spokesperson, Marie Prentice referred to Elliott’s statement May 3 referring to the “tens of thousands of Elliott supporters (that) came out to the polls in every riding and put Elliott on the path to victory.”
Elliott cited a recent poll of party members who are eligible to vote revealing 58 per cent of them would vote for her as leader.
Brown’s campaign reported in March that they had sold over 40,000 party memberships, doubling the number of Elliott’s memberships that were sold. Elliott has said she has “wide support” across the province. (Source: Hamilton Spectator)