<a href="http://www.qpbriefing.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/image1.jpg"><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-80321" alt="image1" src="http://www.qpbriefing.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/image1.jpg" width="640" height="480" srcset="https://old.qpbriefing.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/image1.jpg 640w, https://old.qpbriefing.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/image1-405x304.jpg 405w" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" /></a>
Patrick Brown has been elected as the new leader of the Ontario PC Party, and in the end it wasn't close.
Although final numbers are not yet available, Brown defeated his rival Christine Elliott by well over 1,000 voting points (each riding expressed the vote as a percentage of 100 voting points). He won a huge number of so-called 905 ridings in the Greater Toronto Area, swept the Ottawa ridings, and won big victories in far-flung regions such as Thunder Bay.
PC member voter turnout was 49.3 per cent, the party said.
Taking the stage, Brown raised his arms in triumph, flanked by Elliott and PC Party president Richard Ciano.
"Unlike some parties, we don't anoint our leaders, we test them," he declared.
Brown's victory comes on the back of relentless organizing and support from the likes of Wayne Gretzky and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Nearly the entire establishment of the party had lined up behind Elliott. 
<a href="http://www.qpbriefing.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/image2.jpg"><img class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-80322" alt="image2" src="http://www.qpbriefing.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/image2-150x150.jpg" width="150" height="150" /></a>
He immediately thanked his opponent, taking the first step to repair relations after a campaign that was at times nasty.
"She fought a strong and tireless campaign," Brown said of Elliott. "She brought thousands and thousands of new members into our party, and our party is stronger for that. She pushed me hard, she tested me and I'm better for it."
Questions will immediately turn to how Brown will organize a caucus that he isn't even a part of, as he still holds the Barrie MP seat in the House of Commons. Brown said interim leader Jim Wilson will continue in that role at least until the end of the fall sitting, and that the party's critics would also remain in their roles for now.
Surrounded by the five Tory MPPs who supported his campaign, Brown thanked the ethnic community leaders who helped him sign up thousands of members, and gave greetings in each respective language to his Punjab, Tamil, Arab and Chinese supporters.
He also repeated a campaign message, which was having friendlier relations with unions. "To the broader public sector, we're going to welcome you back to the party," he said.
Speaking to reporters afterward, Brown said his campaign shows he will build a "very different party" than Ontarians have been accustomed to seeing.
"This is a party that is the most diverse in Ontario now," Brown said. "This is a party that has labour leaders, public sector, private sector unions actively engaged in supporting my candidacy."
Pressed on concerns about his social conservatism, particularly on the sex-ed curriculum, Brown remained vague, as he had been all campaign. He said hydro rates was his top policy concern.
Elliott, who spoke for about five minutes, said the party now needs to unite behind Brown to defeat the Liberals.
"He has earned a mandate to lead our party," she said. "I declare this decision unanimous."
<div>Though many considered Brown a long shot when he entered the race last fall, he out-hustled and out-organized his opponents, selling a massive 41,000 memberships out of the 76,587 in total heading into the election. The Elliott campaign said it sold 34,000, though many media reports quoted party sources that had her well below that.</div>
<div></div>
<div>Brown was characterized as the outsider in the campaign because of his scant support from within the caucus. By the end of campaign, after fellow candidate Monte McNaughton dropped out to support him, Brown had the endorsement of five Tory MPPs. Elliott, meanwhile, had 18 endorsements, including all of the most prominent members. She also had several federal Conservative Cabinet ministers supporting her campaign.</div>
<div></div>
<div>Among the challenges awaiting Brown: uniting a badly fractured caucus, providing clarity on his stances on social issues, and persuading a Tory MPP to step down so he can run for a seat in the legislature. It isn't unprecedented for the PCs to have a leader without a seat, however. When John Tory won the leadership in 2004 he didn't have a seat, and former premier Ernie Eves stepped aside for Tory in 2005.</div>
Speaking for the Liberals, Transportation Minister Steven Del Duca slammed Brown as an "unapologetic Tea Party radical" and said his victory shows the "poor shape" the party is in.
"He has no clear plan to stand up for this province," Del Duca said. "This is a party that's on its knees."
Deputy NDP leader Jagmeet Singh said Brown appears to simply be a new version of Tim Hudak, who resigned as leader in June after taking the party in a hard-right direction and suffering a devastating election defeat.
"We've seen that Conservatives are good at paying lip service but not at actually working with people. We're not concerned at all," Singh said.

PC Leadership: Patrick Brown elected new Progressive Conservative leader

Read this for free.