Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie finally reached the threshold of votes needed to become the next Ontario Liberal Party leader late Saturday afternoon, after the party released the results of a third and final round of balloting.
The crowd in downtown Toronto erupted in cheers and chanted “Bonnie! Bonnie! Bonnie!” after the victory was announced.
Crombie, the perceived front-runner throughout the race, will now lead the party in its fight to defeat Premier Doug Ford and regain official party status after a disastrous 2022 election that saw the party win just eight seats and leader Steven Del Duca step down after just two years on the job.
“There is no question, being an Ontario Liberal is back,” Crombie said in her victory speech. “Thank you for taking a spark and turning it into a big red flame here today.”
She defeated Toronto Liberal MP Nate Erskine-Smith, Liberal MP and former provincial cabinet minister Yasir Naqvi and Liberal MPP Ted Hsu.
Ford government ‘in all of our sights,’ Crombie says
Crombie quickly shifted her victory speech to the fight against Ford in 2026, promising to make life better for Ontarians while criticizing the sitting premier’s track record on health care, education and climate change.
“Ford and his conservative cronies have been the opponents in all of our sights this entire campaign,” she said. “This is our moment.”
She said the Liberals need to get to work on building trust with Ontarians, while inspiring and recruiting candidates who reflect the province.
“We’re going to keep this momentum going, raising our war chest that’s going to help us reach voters who are very, very ready for a change,” she said.
Crombie thanked the late Mississauga mayor Hazel McCallion, her mentor, for teaching her the importance of being a good listener and sound financial manager.
After working as a business leader, MP and then mayor for almost decade, Crombie said today’s victory was the greatest honour of her life.
Crombie does not have a seat at Queen’s Park. She did not immediately say if, when or where she will look to win a provincial seat ahead of the next election, slated for 2026.
Crombie didn’t say when she would step down as Mississauga’s mayor, a job she has taken a leave from while campaigning.
Ford government already on the attack, NDP congratulatory
Ford’s Progressive Conservatives published an attack ad on social media minutes after Crombie was elected leader.
“Bonnie and the Liberals just don’t get it…They’ll cost you,” reads an image of Crombie the conservatives shared on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The image includes bullet points that suggest a Crombie-led government would see “higher taxes, more gridlock, fewer homes.”
Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles struck a different tone, congratulating Crombie’s win with a post on X.
“As you set a new direction for your party, I’m looking forward to your ideas and contributions to the debate on the future of our great,” Stiles said.
Crombie won on the third round of ranked ballot voting after leading the first round and second round, but falling short of the 50 per cent threshold needed to win. She took the leadership with roughly 53 per cent of points needed to win, after finishing with 43 per cent in the first round and 47 per cent in the second round.
Crombie’s team entered Saturday’s contest suggesting she could win after the first round of votes was counted. But the race finished closer than expected, with Erskine-Smith finishing with 47 per cent of the available points.
Former premier Dalton McGuinty spoke at the leadership convention Saturday and said the four candidates brought excitement and energy to the party and are responsible for renewing it.
“Our job beginning today is to rally behind the new leader and give them that support,” he told the crowd.
“Then in the days and years that follow, our job is essentially threefold: encourage our leader, support our leader, defend our leader. All this demands…that we come together and stay together, and it’s important to understand — we don’t just owe our unity to our leader and to our party, we owe it to our province.”
A timeline of recent Ontario Liberal leaders
- Dalton McGuinty, 1996 to 2013 — McGuinty announced his resignation in 2012, paving the way for an intense leadership competition.
- Kathleen Wynne, 2013 to 2018 — Wynne stepped down after her party was defeated by the Progressive Conservatives.
- John Fraser, 2018 to 2020 — Fraser served as the party’s interim leader.
- Steven Del Duca, 2020-2022 — Del Duca stepped down after the PCs once again defeated the Liberals in the 2022 election.
- John Fraser, 2022 until today — Fraser said he has ruled out a third stint as interim leader.
Source : CBC
