2013 Ontario Liberal Party leadership election

Incumbent party leader Dalton McGuinty was elected leader 17 years earlier, when the 1996 leadership election process culminated to a convention at the venue. McGuinty, like Wynne, did not enter that convention as the frontrunner. After defeating then frontrunner Gerard Kennedy, McGuinty led the party to an electoral defeat in 1999 before securing his first majority electoral victory in 2003 and forming the McGuinty ministry. He went on to lead the party to two more electoral victories in 2007 and 2011, the first Liberal leader to secure more than two electoral mandate since Sir Oliver Mowat. After leading his ministry for nine years, McGuinty announced his pending resignation as leader of the Liberal Party on October 15, 2012, citing a desire to bring new blood to the party leadership.^[4] McGuinty also, citing the political "logjam" in Ontario, prorogued the Legislative Assembly.^[5]

Following her victory at the 2013 leadership convention, Wynne formed her ministry on February 11, 2013. After leading a minority government for 14 months, she called an election on May 2, 2014 ahead of an expected defeat of her government's budget, and led her party to a renewed majority government in June 2014.

Under the procedure outlined by the party's constitution, the leader was to be chosen in a traditional delegated leadership convention in which up to 2,283 delegates were eligible to vote, made up of 1,712 elected delegates (16 elected by proportional representation in each of the 107 provincial riding associations), 419 ex officio delegates (current and former Liberal MPPs, defeated candidates from the last election, riding association presidents, party executive officers and other party officials, and federal Liberal MPs for Ontario) 144 youth delegates from 18 campus clubs and eight delegates representing the Women's Commission. Riding delegates ran on the slate of a leadership candidate or as independents, in the case of the former they were required to vote for that candidate on the first ballot but were free to change their support subsequently.^[6][7][8] Balloting at convention continued until one candidate received a majority of ballots cast.

There was a $50,000 entry fee and $500,000 spending limit not including the 25% of all money raised by candidates which had to be turned over to the party in order to pay for the convention. Candidates were not permitted to accumulate more than $100,000 in debt.^[1] Nomination papers had to be signed by at least 250 party members.^[9] The registration fee for delegates was between $249 and $599.^[10]

44,421 party members were eligible to vote in the selection of delegates.^[6] Of these, less than 15,000 had been members when McGuinty announced his departure; 27,206 were recruited by the leadership campaigns before November 24.^[11]

• December 1, 1996 – Dalton McGuinty wins the leadership election to succeed Lyn McLeod.
• October 6, 2011 – The general election returns the Liberals to power but reduces them to 53 seats in the legislature, one short of a majority.
• September 6, 2012 – By-elections are held in the ridings of Kitchener—Waterloo and Vaughan. The Liberals had hoped to win both seats in order to secure a majority; they retain Vaughan but place third in Kitchener-Waterloo which is won by the NDP.
• September 29, 2012 – The Ontario Liberal Party's Annual General Meeting endorses Dalton McGuinty's leadership of the party with the support of 86% of delegates.
• October 2, 2012 – The opposition parties combine, in committee, to pass a rare contempt motion against Energy Minister Chris Bentley over the government's decision to cancel two gas plants prior to the 2011 election at a cost of $230 million. The opposition contends that the sale occurred in order to help the Liberals retain several seats and that Bentley has not complied with a directive by the Speaker to release all documents related to the decision.
• October 15, 2012 – Dalton McGuinty announces that he will resign as Liberal Party leader and Premier of Ontario as soon as the party holds a leadership convention. McGuinty also prorogues the legislature.
• October 21, 2012 – Liberal Party executive meets to decide on a date for the leadership election and rules government the process.
• October 28, 2012 – Liberal Party executive meets to choose a venue for the convention.
• November 23, 2012, 5 pm ET (UTC−05:00) – Deadline for candidates to pay $50,000 entry fee and file nomination papers signed by at least 250 party members.^[9] Membership cut-off date for eligibility to vote for delegates.^[8]
• December 1, 2012, 1 pm ET – Ingersoll Leadership Debate^[12]
• December 9, 2012, 1 pm ET – Thunder Bay Leadership Debate^[12]
• December 18, 2012, 7 pm ET – Ottawa Leadership Debate^[12]
• January 6, 2013, 1 pm ET – Durham Region Leadership Debate^[12]
• January 9, 2013, 7 pm ET – Toronto Leadership Debate^[12]
• January 12–13, 2013 – Delegate selection meetings will be held in all 107 Ontario ridings.^[8]
• January 25, 2013 – convention opens
• January 26, 2013 – leadership election
• January 27, 2013 – convention ends^[9]

• Rick Bartolucci, Minister of Northern Development and Mines, MPP for Sudbury.^[23]
• Chris Bentley, Minister of Energy and MPP for London West^[24] – retiring from politics
• Jim Bradley, Minister of Environment and MPP for St. Catharines^[25]
• Laurel Broten, Minister of Education and MPP for Etobicoke—Lakeshore^[26]
• Michael Bryant, former Attorney-General^[27]
• David Caplan, former Minister of Health and Long-Term Care (2007–2009)^[28]
• Bob Chiarelli, Minister of Transportation, Minister of Infrastructure and MPP for Ottawa West—Nepean^[29]
• Brad Duguid, Minister of Economic Development and MPP for Scarborough Centre^[30]
• Dwight Duncan, Deputy Premier, Finance Minister and MPP for Windsor—Tecumseh^[31] – retiring from politics
• John Gerretsen, Attorney-General and MPP for Kingston and the Islands^[32]
• Deb Matthews, Minister of Health and Long-term Care and MPP for London North Centre^[33]
• Yasir Naqvi, MPP for Ottawa Centre and President of the Ontario Liberal Party.^[34]
• David Orazietti, MPP for Sault Ste. Marie.^[23]
• Frank Scarpitti, Mayor of Markham, Ontario^[35]
• George Smitherman, former Deputy Premier^[36]
• John Wilkinson, former Minister of the Environment^[15]

Following her victory at the 2013 leadership convention, the Wynne ministry was sworn into office on February 11, 2013 with Sousa as finance minister, Hoskins as economic development minister and Murray taking on both the transportation and infrastructure portfolios. Wynne appealed to both Pupatello and Kennedy for them to return to public life but both declined.^[39][40] Wynne underlined the value she places in loyalty, naming Matthews as deputy and placing all ten of her caucus supporters in her cabinet while also demonstrated her commitment to not be vindictive by retaining Takhar in cabinet and promoting a number of key Pupatello backers into cabinet. The voluntary retirement of a number of incumbent ministers created room for the inclusions of a large group new cabinet members. Only one incumbent cabinet member exited involuntarily.

Takhar's tenure in the Wynne ministry was short, having resigned after a health episode in May 2013, and was never brought back into cabinet by Wynne. Sousa in the other hand remained her trusty finance minister for the entire duration of the Wynne ministry. Hoskins got the health portfolio he long coveted, after a year of underwhelming performance at economic development, and held the post until resigning abruptly a few months before the 2018 election. Murray became environment minister in 2014 and held the role till late 2017 when he resigned to head the Pembina Institute in Alberta.

Within months of the leadership election, five former members of the McGuinty ministry, including the former Premier himself, bid their farewell from Queen's Park, opening up five by-elections for the new government to defend simultaneously. The five by-election on August 1 2013 was the most by-elections held simultaneously since 1984, after five opposition members resigned to contest the 1984 federal election. The last instance of an incumbent Ontario government defending five by-elections in government held seat was in 1930, when ministerial byelections were still legally required. The Liberals lost three of the five seats. The loss of Dwight Duncan's seat in Windsor and Chris Bentley seat in London were particularly disastrous. These by-elections further weakened the minority government.

After leading a minority government for 14 months, Wynne called an election on May 2, 2014 ahead of an expected defeat of her government's budget, and led her party to a renewed majority government in June 2014. Two of Wynne's key cabinet backer, Linda Jeffrey and John Gerretsen, retired prior to the election.

The 2013 Ontario Liberal leadership election was of unique historical significance due to a number of factors.