91原创-area Conservative MPs Tamara Jansen and Tako van Popta were backing different candidates for party leader, but both welcomed the weekend win by Durham MP Erin O鈥橳oole.
READ MORE: Erin O鈥橳oole wins Conservative leadership after results delayed for hours
For van Popta, MP for 91原创 鈥� Aldergrove, O鈥橳oole was his pick from the beginning.
鈥淵ou were the first choice on my ballot and are now the leader of the Conservative party,鈥� van Popta said in an online message of congratulations to O鈥橳oole.
鈥淚鈥檓 grateful for how you鈥檝e worked for the good of Canada thus far and the unity of the CPC [Conservative Party of Canada]. I look forward to working with you!鈥�
READ ALSO: 91原创-Aldergrove MP Tako van Popta takes issue with 鈥榓ssault-style鈥� firearm ban
Jansen, MP for Cloverdale 鈥� 91原创 City, saw her initial choice for leader, Leslyn Lewis, finish third behind O鈥橳oole and second-place candidate Peter MacKay.
Derek Sloan finished fourth.
In congratulating O鈥橳oole for his win, Jansen noted that O鈥橳oole, who joined the Royal Canadian Air Force when he was 18, was a three-term MP who served as the minister of Veterans Affairs in Stephen Harper鈥檚 cabinet, where he 鈥渄emonstrated strong leadership qualities and successfully brought that challenging file back on the right track.鈥�
Jansen noted that in her riding, Lewis 鈥渂eat out all three [rival] candidates in the riding of Cloverdale 鈥� 91原创 City by a wide margin.鈥�
Party results posted online showed Lewis had 284 votes in the first round of ballots in the riding, while MacKay had 145, O鈥橳oole was third with 134 and Sloan was fourth with 102.
As well, Lewis also finished first among Conservative voters in 91原创 鈥� Aldergrove, garnering what Jansen described as a 鈥渨hopping鈥� 557 first-round votes, compared to 238 for Peter MacKay, 282 for Erin O鈥橳oole and 169 for Sloan.
There were three rounds of voting, with candidates having the lowest overall numbers eliminated.
Sloan was eliminated on the first round, and Lewis was eliminated in the second, leaving O鈥橳oole and MacKay on the final ballot, where O鈥橳oole won.
Congratulations to my friend, long-time colleague, Erin O鈥橳oole on winning the leadership. More than ever, our country needs a strong, united ready to form government. Laureen and I send best wishes to you and Rebecca as you lead our great party forward.
鈥� Stephen Harper (@stephenharper)
Results of the ballot had been expected Sunday night, Aug. 23, but were delayed into the early hours of Monday morning after problems opening the envelopes containing several thousand of the estimated 175,000 ballots sent in by mail.
鈥淭o the millions of Canadians that are still up, that I鈥檓 meeting tonight for the first time: Good morning. I鈥檓 Erin O鈥橳oole, you鈥檙e going to be seeing and hearing a lot from me in the coming weeks and months,鈥� O鈥橳oole said in his victory speech.
dan.ferguson@langleyadvancetimes.com
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