Members of the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party have elected Barrie MP Patrick Brown as the new leader of the party.
At the announcement ceremony in Toronto, he beat out Christine Elliott for the position.
Ahead of the voting and announcement of results, Huron-Bruce MPP Lisa Thompson, Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound MPP Bill Walker and Perth-Wellington MPP Randy Pettapiece all supported Elliott.
In the riding-by-riding results, Elliott won Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound, while Brown had more support in Huron-Bruce and Perth-Wellington.
Now that a leader has been picked, Walker says it's time to unite and focus on winning the 2018 election.
"The people have made their choice, it is democracy, the people have had their say and now our job is to refocus, re-energize, reunite and focus on how we can win the 2018 election for the sake of the people of Ontario," says Walker.
Pettapiece echoed those statements and credited Brown for winning by a large margin.
"He's really organized," says Pettapiece. "We have three years (until the 2018 election) and I am certain he will bring in policy that reflect what our grassroots want."
Pettapiece also commended interim PC leader Jim Wilson on his work in the position. He says Wilson took the party in the right direction under his stint by working to get younger members involved in the party.
Brown sold more than 41,000 new PC memberships as he campaigned across the province saying he was the fresh "reset'' that could return the once-mighty party to power.
*With files from Kirk Scott
