Ontario Liberal candidates await 2nd-round ballot results

Candidates in the race to become Ontario’s next premier are awaiting the results after the second round of voting at the Ontario Liberal leadership convention in Toronto.

The two frontrunners are in a virtual tie after the first ballot. Former Windsor MPP Sandra Pupatello got 599 votes, followed by former cabinet minister Kathleen Wynne with 597. Pupatello had a much larger lead of 27.4 per cent of committed delegate support heading into the convention compared to 25.2 per cent for Wynne. But a spokesman for Wynne’s campaign said her support “far exceeded expectations” and continues to grow.

Going into the second round, Wynne’s campaign got a boost when Eric Hoskins, who placed last and automatically dropped off the second ballot, threw his support behind her. Pupatello also received a boost after fellow candidate Harinder Takhar endorsed her candidacy ahead of the next round, although his move came after the deadline to remove his name from the ballot.