British Columbia Liberal Party leadership elections

This page lists the results of leadership conventions held by the British Columbia Liberal Party.

1902 leadership convention

(Held February 6, 1902)

• Joseph Martin 47
• William Wallace Burns McInnes 17
• John Cunningham Brown 8
• George Ritchie Maxwell 4
• Scattering 14

(Source: "Canadian Annual Review 1902", p. 85)

1903 Party Caucus

(Joseph Martin resigned as Liberal leader on June 2, 1903. Following his personal defeat in the 1903 general election, the first on a partisan basis, James Alexander MacDonald was elected leader by a party caucus on October 19, 1903.)

First Ballot:

• Stuart Alexander Henderson 5
• James Alexander MacDonald 5
• William Wallace Burns McInnes 5

Second Ballot:

• William Wallace Burns McInnes 6
• MacDONALD, James Alexander 5
• Stuart Alexander Henderson 4

Third Ballot (Runoff between McInnes and MacDonald):

• James Alexander MacDonald 11
• William Wallace Burns McInnes 4

Fourth Ballot (McInnes eliminated):

• James Alexander MacDonald 10
• Stuart Alexander Henderson 4

(Source: "Canadian Annual Review 1903", pgs. 222-223)

Developments 1909-1912

John Oliver was elected leader by a meeting of the caucus and provincial executive October 10, 1909.

1912 leadership convention

(Held March 1, 1912)

• BREWSTER, Harlan Carey acclaimed

1918 Party Caucus

On March 5, 1918 John Oliver was elected leader on the fourth ballot, defeating James Horace King and John Wallace de Beque Farris. William Sloan and John Duncan MacLean were eliminated on previous ballots.

Source: "Morning Leader", March 6, 1918

Developments 1927-1930

At a party caucus on July 18, 1927 John Oliver resigned as premier and party leader due to ill health. This was refused and John Duncan MacLean was chosen to be his successor as leader and Premier and was made acting Premier while Oliver remained nominal Premier. Oliver died on August 17, 1927 and MacLean become Premier on August 20.

Source: "Morning Leader", July 19, 1927

Following John Duncan MacLean's personal defeat in the 1928 general election Thomas Dufferin Pattullo was unanimously chosen House leader by the Liberal caucus on January 19, 1929. This was confirmed by the party executive on January 21, 1929. He was confirmed as permanent leader at a subsequent convention.

Source: "Vancouver Sun", January 21, 1929

1930 leadership convention

(Held May 30, 1930)

• Thomas Dufferin Pattullo acclaimed

Source: "Montreal Gazette", 31 May 1930

1941 leadership convention

(Held December 2, 1941)

• John Hart acclaimed

Source: "The Leader Post", 3 December 1941

1947 leadership convention

(Held December 10, 1947)

• Byron Ingemar Johnson 475
• Gordon Sylvester Wismer 467

Source: "Saskatoon Star-Phoenix", 11 December 1947

1953 leadership convention

(Held April 8, 1953)

• Arthur Laing acclaimed

Source: "Vancouver Sun", 9 April 1953

1959 leadership convention

(Held on May 16, 1959)

• Ray Perrault 494
• George Frederick Thompson Gregory 162

Source: "Montreal Gazette", 19 May 1959

1968 leadership convention

(Held on October 5, 1968.)

• Pat McGeer 686
• Garde Gardom 316

Source: The Leader-Post, 7 October 1968)

1972 leadership convention

(Held on May 22, 1972.)

• David Anderson 388
• Bill Vander Zalm 177

1975 leadership convention

(Held on September 28, 1975 in Burnaby, British Columbia.)

• Gordon Gibson acclaimed

1979 leadership convention

(Held on February 19, 1979.)

• Jev Tothill 250
• Hugh Chesley 51

(Source: Globe and Mail, 19 February 1979)

1981 leadership convention

(Held on May 25, 1981.)

• Shirley McLoughlin 195
• Tom Finkelstein 146
• Roland Bouwman 48

(Note: There were six spoiled ballots.)

1984 leadership convention

(Held on March 31, 1984 in Richmond, British Columbia.)

• Art Lee 319
• Stan Roberts 126
• William Pryhitko 43
• Ron Biggs 36

1987 leadership convention

(Held on October 30, 1987 in Richmond, British Columbia.)

• Gordon Wilson acclaimed

One other candidate, Clive Tanner, had been in the race through the spring and summer, but withdrew in August after sustaining a leg injury which affected his ability to campaign.

1993 leadership challenge

(Held on September 11, 1993.)

• Gordon Campbell 4141
• Gordon Gibson 1600
• Gordon Wilson 531
• Linda Reid 166
• Wilf Hurd 62
• Allan Warnke 36
• Charles McKinney 4

2011 leadership convention

Main article: British Columbia Liberal Party leadership election, 2011

(Held on February 26, 2011)

The rounds were counted in terms of points, with 100 points allocated per electoral district.

Candidate	First Round		Second Round		Third Round
	Points	%	Points	%	Points	%
Christy Clark	3,209	37.75	3,575	42.06	4,420	52.0
Kevin Falcon	2,411	28.36	2,564	30.16	4,080	48.0
George Abbott	2,091	24.60	2,361	27.78
Mike de Jong	789	9.28
Total	8,500	100.00	8,500	100.00	8,500	100.0