1943 Ontario Liberal Party leadership election

1943 leadership election of the Ontario Liberal Party September 2023 January 2023 Ontario Liberal Party ON Liberal 1943 April 30, 1943 King Edward Hotel,Toronto, Ontario Harry Nixon Gordon Daniel Conant 4 1 The 1943 Ontario Liberal Party leadership election was held on April 30, 1943, at the King Edward Hotel in Toronto to choose a new leader of the Ontario Liberal Party. The convention was won on the first ballot by Harry Nixon, who succeeded Gordon Daniel Conant as party leader and subsequently became Premier of Ontario. The leadership contest followed the resignation of former premier Mitchell Hepburn, who had left office in October 1942 after a period of internal conflict within the Liberal government and party. Hepburn was succeeded as premier by Conant, who had served as attorney general. Because the Liberals were still in government, the leadership race also determined who would become premier. Conant initially sought to remain leader and premier, but he withdrew from the race after suffering a collapse shortly before the convention vote. With Conant hospitalized, Thomas McQuesten was serving as acting premier on the day Nixon was elected leader.Conant Suffers Collapse, Quits Leadership Race Toronto Daily Star April 30, 1943Nixon's Ontario Premier But Question Is When? Toronto Daily Star May 1, 1943 Background The leadership contest took place during the final months of the Liberal government first elected under Mitchell Hepburn in the 1934 Ontario general election. Hepburn resigned as premier in October 1942 and was succeeded by Gordon Daniel Conant, who had served as attorney general in Hepburn's government.Gordon Daniel Conant https://www.ola.org/en/members/all/gordon-daniel-conant Legislative Assembly of Ontario May 31, 2026 Although Conant became premier, the question of the permanent party leadership remained unsettled. A leadership convention was called for April 1943, less than four months before the 1943 Ontario general election. Because the Liberals were still in office, the convention would also determine who was expected to become premier.Nixon's Ontario Premier But Question Is When? Toronto Daily Star May 1, 1943 Conant was a candidate for the leadership, but withdrew after suffering a collapse shortly before the convention vote.Conant Suffers Collapse, Quits Leadership Race Toronto Daily Star April 30, 1943 With Conant hospitalized, Thomas McQuesten was serving as acting premier when Harry Nixon was elected leader on April 30, 1943. Nixon was sworn in as premier on May 18, 1943.Harry Corwin Nixon https://www.ola.org/en/members/all/harry-corwin-nixon Legislative Assembly of Ontario May 31, 2026 Candidates Thomas McQuesten, 60, was the MPP for Hamilton—Wentworth and a senior cabinet minister. He had served as Minister of Public Works and Highways and as Minister of Municipal Affairs.Thomas Baker McQuesten https://www.ola.org/en/members/all/thomas-baker-mcquesten Legislative Assembly of Ontario May 31, 2026 Harry Nixon, 52, was the MPP for Brant. First elected in 1919 as a United Farmers of Ontario member, he later sat as a Progressive and Liberal-Progressive before joining the Liberals. Nixon had served as Provincial Secretary and Registrar of Ontario under both E. C. Drury and Mitchell Hepburn, and had led the Progressive and Liberal-Progressive group before joining the Liberal government. Arthur Roebuck, 65, was the federal Liberal MP for Trinity. He had previously served as MPP for Bellwoods and as Attorney General of Ontario in Hepburn's first government.Arthur Wentworth Roebuck https://www.ola.org/en/members/all/arthur-wentworth-roebuck Legislative Assembly of Ontario May 31, 2026 Walter Thomson, 48, was a lawyer and rancher from Hastings County. He later served as a federal Liberal MP and became leader of the Ontario Liberal Party after the 1950 Ontario Liberal Party leadership election.Profile: Walter Cunningham Thomson https://lop.parl.ca/sites/ParlInfo/default/en_CA/People/Profile?personId=16650 ParlInfo Parliament of Canada May 31, 2026 Withdrawn candidate Gordon Daniel Conant was the incumbent premier and former attorney general. He had been expected to contest the leadership but withdrew after suffering a collapse hours before the leadership vote. Results Results were as follows: Candidate Votes % Harry Nixon 41874.0Arthur Roebuck8515.0Thomas McQuesten407.1Walter Thomson223.9Total573100.0 There were 8 spoiled ballots. The results were reported by the Toronto Daily Star on May 1, 1943.Federal-Provincial Accord Seen With Nixon As Leader Toronto Daily Star May 1, 1943 Aftermath Nixon did not immediately become premier after winning the leadership. Because Conant was ill and still formally premier, McQuesten served as acting premier while arrangements were made for the transfer of office. Nixon was sworn in as premier on May 18, 1943. References Category:Ontario Liberal Party leadership elections Category:1943 elections in Canada Category:1943 in Ontario Category:1943 political party leadership elections Category:April 1943 in Canada