The Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario has elected Doug Ford as its new leader after a fast, chaotic and rather unexpected campaign season.
And the leadership vote itself was every bit as messy as the run up to it.
The results of the race were meant to be announced today around 3 p.m. during the PC leadership convention in Markham, but a significant, unexplained delay had politicos, journalists and many Ontarians on edge for hours.
Analysts say that tight results and technical problems were to blame.
Ford was one of four candidates in the running to replace Patrick Brown, who stepped down as the party's leader in January amidst accusations of sexual misconduct.
The former city councillor and brother of late former Toronto Mayor Rob Ford launched his bid to the lead the PCs at the end of January from his mother's basement.
Christine Elliott, Caroline Mulroney, and Tanya Granic Allen also threw their hats in the ring ahead of this week's election, but none could garner as much support as Ford.
Elliott was extremely close, however. CBC News reported this afternoon that the amount of votes between her and Ford was as small as half a per cent of all votes cast.
Brown himself had submitted a last-minute application to run for for his old job on February 16, but dropped out of the race just 10 days later after news broke that Ontario's Integrity Commissioner was conducting an inquiry into his personal finances.
Ford will be going up against Liberal leader and current Premier Kathleen Wynne this spring to vie for control of the province during Ontario's general election.
by Lauren O'Neil via blogTO
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