At Home in Hespeler

John Tory has apparently decided not to run for mayor of Toronto in the upcoming municipal election. Reading the story, what struck me was the people who managed his previous campaigns:

Jeff Bangs, who managed Tory’s 2004 campaign for the Conservative leadership, decided to run former Liberal provincial minister George Smitherman’s campaign for mayor.

As well, Rocco Rossi, who managed Tory’s failed bid for the mayor’s chair in 2003, announced his own candidacy.

Jeff Bangs is now off to run former Provincial Liberal cabinet minister George Smitherman’s campaign. Rocco Rossi is the former executive director for the Liberal Party of Canada. You might remember him for his Kayaking to save the Liberals last summer.

Russ Campbell comments today on the fate of the Provincial PC brand here in Ontario:

The lost years under John Tory may be too hard to overcome.

The reason for that Russ, is that he was never a Conservative, just a Liberal in PC clothing.

John 'Red Green' Tory, John Tory 2010 election, George Smitherman, Jeff Bangs, John Tory, Mayor of Toronto, Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario, Rocco Rossi, Russ Campbell

Tim Hudak leads after first ballot voting at the Ontario Provincial Conservative Party Convention with 33% of the vote. Frank Klees follows closely with 30% followed by Christine Elliott at 26% and Randy Hillier at 10%.

From United and Strong:

The Results have come in:

107 of 107 ridings:

Hudak: 3511
Klees: 3093
Elliott: 2728
Hillier 1013

The Roll call for the Second round balloting will be after lunch, with Randy Hillier being dropped from second round balloting.

Ajax Pickering – Elliott wins
Algoma Manitoulin – Hudak wins
Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale – Hudak wins
Barrie – Hudak wins
Beaches-East York – Klees wins
Bramalea-Gore-Malton – Klees wins
Brampton Springdale – Klees wins
Brampton West – Klees wins
Brant – Hudak wins
Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound – Elliott wins
Burlington – Hudak wins
Cambridge – Klees wins
Carleton-Missippi Mills – Hillier wins
Chatham Kent Essex – Hudak wins
Davenport – 3-way tie (Hudak, Elliott, Klees)
Don Valley East – Klees wins
Don Valley West – Hudak wins
Dufferin-Caledon – Elliott wins
Durham – Elliott wins
Eglington Lawrence – Elliott wins
Elgin Middlesex London – Klees wins
Essex – Elliott wins
Etobicoke Centre – Klees wins
Etobicoke Lakeshore – Klees wins
Etobicoke North – Hudak wins
Glengarry-Prescott-Russell – Hillier wins
Guelph – Hudak wins
Haldimand-Norfolk – Hudak wins
Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock – Hudak wins
Halton – Hudak wins
Hamilton Centre – Hudak wins
Hamilton East-Stoney Creek – Hudak wins
Hamilton Mountain – Hudak wins
Huron Bruce – Klees wins
Kenora-Rainy River – Hudak wins
Kingston and the Islands – Elliott wins
Kitchener Centre – Klees wins
Kitchener Conestoga – Klees wins
Kitchener Waterloo – Elliott wins
Lambton Kent Middlesex – Klees wins
Lanark-Frontenac-Lennox and Addington – Hillier win
Leeds-Grenville – Hudak wins
London-Fanshawe – Hudak wins
London North Centre – Hudak wins
London West – Hudak wins
Markham-Unionville – Klees wins
Mississauga-Brampton South – Klees wins
Mississauga East Cooksville – Klees wins
Mississauga Erindale – Klees wins
Mississauga South – Klees wins
Mississauga Streetsville – Hudak wins
Nepean Carleton – Hudak wins
Newmarket Aurora – Klees wins
Niagara Falls – Hudak wins
Niagara West Glanbrook – Hudak wins
Nickel Belt – Klees wins
Nipissing – Hudak wins
Northumberland-Quinte West – Elliott wins
Oak Ridges-Markham – Klees wins
Oakville – Elliott wins
Oshawa – Elliott wins
Ottawa Centre – Hudak wins
Ottawa-Orleans – Hudak wins
Ottawa South – Hudak wins
Ottawa Vanier – Elliott wins
Ottawa West Nepean – Hudak wins
Oxford – Hudak wins
Parkdale-High Park – Klees wins
Parry Sound-Muskoka – Hudak wins
Perth-Wellington – Hudak wins
Peterborough – Elliott wins
Pickering-Scarborough East – Elliott wins
Prince Edward-Hastings – Hudak wins
Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke – Hudak wins
Richmond Hill – Klees wins
St Catharines – Hudak wins
St Paul’s – Elliott wins
Sarnia-Lambton – Hudak wins
Sault Ste Marie – Elliott wins
Scarborough-Agincourt – Hudak wins
Scarborough Centre – Klees wins
Scarborough Guildwood – Klees wins
Scarborough Rouge River – Klees wins
Scarborough Southwest – Klees wins
Simcoe-Grey – Hudak wins
Simcoe-North – Hudak wins
Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry – Elliott wins
Sudbury – Klees wins
Thornhill – Klees wins
Thunder Bay-Atikokan – Klees wins
Thunder Bay-Superior North – Hudak wins
Timiskaming-Cochrane – Hudak wins
Timmins-James Bay – Hudak wins
Toronto Centre – Elliott wins
Toronto Danforth – Elliott wins
Trinity Spadina – Hudak wins
Vaughan – Hudak wins
Welland – Hudak wins
Wellington-Halton Hills – Elliott wins
Whitby-Oshawa – Elliott wins
Willowdale – Klees wins
Windsor-Tecumseh – Hudak wins
Windsor West – Elliott wins
York Centre – Klees wins
York Simcoe – Klees wins
York South Weston – Elliott wins
York West – Elliott wins

The roll call for the second ballot will happen after lunch, with Randy Hiller dropped from the second round.

Let the back-room politicking begin.

Follow the votes at United and Strong

Tim Hudak Christine Elliott, Frank Klees, Leadership cpnvention, leadership vote, PC, PC leadership, PC leadership convention, PC leadership vote, Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario, Randy Hiller, Tim Hudak