2004 Conservative Party of Canada leadership race

The Conservative Party of Canada leadership race will end March 21, 2004 with the election of the first leader of the new Canadian Conservative Party.

The leader will be selected by a system where each riding gets 100 points. A candidate needs to majority of the points to win the leadership. The ballot will contain a preferential list of candidates. In each round of voting the lowest rank candidate will be dropped and the votes will go to the second choice of those that voted for them. This will continue until one cadidate has a majority of the votes.

Stephen Harper is currently viewed as a front runner. The former leader of the Canadian Alliance has strong financial backing, caucus support, and lock on most western supporters.

Table of contents

1 Candidates 2 Are expected to run 3 Dropped out 4 Announced they would not run 5 Timeline 6 January, 2004 7 December, 2003

Candidates

• Tony Clement - former Ontario health minister
• Stephen Harper - Canadian Alliance Leader

Are expected to run

• Belinda Stronach - CEO of Magna International

Dropped out

• Jim Prentice - Progressive Conservative Party 2003 leadership race runner-up

Announced they would not run

• Scott Brison - Progressive Conservative member of parliament (has since defected to the Liberals)
• Mike Harris - former Premier of Ontario
• Ralph Klein - Premier of Alberta
• Bernard Lord - Premier of New Brunswick
• Peter MacKay - Progressive Conservative Party Leader
• Brian Pallister - Canadian Alliance member of parliament
• Bob Runciman - former Ontario security minister
• Larry Smith - Publisher of The Montreal Gazette
• Chuck Strahl - Canadian Alliance member of parliament

Timeline

January, 2004

• January 16 - Fraser Valley MP Chuck Strahl annouces he will not seek the Conservative leadership, citing financial barriers.
• 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 13 - Peter MacKay declares he will not enter the race to lead the new Conservative Party of Canada.
• January 12 - Stephen Harper announces his entry into the race to lead the new Conservative Party of Canada. Earlier today, Jim Prentice drops out of the leadership contest, citing a lack of funds.

December, 2003

• December 30 - Bernard Lord, Premier of New Brunswick, reconfirms that he will not seek the leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada. He had been considered a potential frontrunner.
• 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 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 6 - The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada votes with a 90% majority in favour of merging with the Canadian Alliance.
• December 5 - The Canadian Alliance votes with a 96% majority in favour of merging with the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada.