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)

• MARTIN, Joseph 47
• McInnes, William Wallace Burns 17
• Brown, John Cunningham 8
• Maxwell, George Richie 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:

• HENDERSON, Stuart Alexander 5
• MacDONALD, James Alexander 5
• McINNES, William Wallace Burns 5

Second Ballot:

• McINNES, William Wallace Burns 6
• MacDONALD, James Alexander 5
• HENDERSON, Stuart Alexander 4

Third Ballot (Runoff between McInnes and MacDonald):

• MacDONALD, James Alexander 11
• McINNES, William Wallace Burns 4

Fourth Ballot (McInnes eliminated):

• MacDONALD, James Alexander 10
• HENDERSON, Stuart Alexander 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 accl.

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)

• PATTULLO, Thomas Dufferin accl.

Source: "Montreal Gazette", 31 May 1930

1941 leadership convention

(Held December 2, 1941)

• HART, John accl.

Source: "The Leader Post", 3 December 1941

1947 leadership convention

(Held December 10, 1947)

• JOHNSON, Byron 475
• WISMER, Gordon 467

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

1953 leadership convention

(Held April 8, 1953)

• LAING, Arthur accl.

Source: "Vancouver Sun", 9 April 1953

1959 leadership convention

(Held on May 16, 1959)

• PERRAULT, Raymond Joseph 494
• GREGORY, George 162

Source: "Montreal Gazette", 19 May 1959

1968 leadership convention

(Held on October 5, 1968.)

• McGEER, Patrick Lucey 686
• GARDOM, Garde 316

Source: The Leader-Post, 7 October 1968)

1972 leadership convention

(Held on May 22, 1972.)

• ANDERSON, David 388
• VANDER ZALM, Bill 177

1975 leadership convention

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

• GIBSON, Gordon accl.

1979 leadership convention

(Held on February 19, 1979.)

• TOTHILL, Jev 250
• CHESLEY, Hugh 51

(Source: Globe and Mail, 19 February 1979)

1981 leadership convention

(Held on May 25, 1981.)

• MCLOUGHLIN, Shirley 195
• FINKELSTEIN, Tom 146
• BOUWMAN, Roland 48

(Note: There were six spoiled ballots.)

1984 leadership convention

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

• LEE, Art 319
• ROBERTS, Stan 126
• PRYHITKO, William 43
• BIGGS, Ron 36

1987 leadership convention

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

• WILSON, Gordon accl.

1993 leadership challenge

(Held on September 11, 1993.)

• CAMPBELL, Gordon 4141
• GIBSON, Gordon 1600
• WILSON, Gordon 531
• REID, Linda 166
• HURD, Wilf 62
• WARNKE, Allan 36
• MCKINNEY, Charles 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	%
Clark, Christy	3,209	37.75	3,575	42.06	4,420	52.0
Falcon, Kevin	2,411	28.36	2,564	30.16	4,080	48.0
Abbott, George	2,091	24.60	2,361	27.78
de Jong, Mike	789	9.28
Total	8,500	100.00	8,500	100.00	8,500	100.0