Ontario PC Party rally behind new leader

Deep rifts within the Progressive Conservative Party were exposed when runner up Christine Elliott refused to concede.

It’s up to new leader, Doug Ford, to unite the PC’s ahead of the June election.

Donna Skelly, the PC party representative of Flamborough-Glanbrook, was door knocking in her riding this morning calling for support.

Despite the scandals and drama, Skelly says the party will persevere.

Skelly says she is ready to embrace Ford as the leader despite putting her support behind Elliott in the leadership race.

She says the people she’s been speaking with just want Premier Wynne out.

It’s Wynne’s unpopularity that political analyst Marvin Ryder says is giving Ford an edge, at least for now.

Some are already disappointed with the new PC leader even before he starts his campaign.

While Elliott was the favourite to win the leadership, Ford came out on top. Ryder says we’ve seen a situation like this before where getting the popularity vote doesn’t always mean you’ll win the race.

Ryder says Ford has done well in the rural areas, but will have to soften his approach to win over urban voters.

Ryder says Ford is a dramatic alternative between the Liberals and the NDP, adding that the New Democrats are a socially liberal alternative for voters who don’t like Wynne but aren’t as far right as Ford.