How the first Conservative ballot looked across Canada

The election of Saskatchewan MP Andrew Scheer as Conservative leader on May 27 was a drawn-out affair. Under the party’s particular voting system, which combines a preferential ballot and a points-based ranking system, it took 13 rounds before Scheer was finally crowned.

Suffice to say, he was not everyone’s first choice.

Indeed, a look at first-ballot choices across the country shows that in nearly 60 per cent of ridings, Maxime Bernier was the top pick of Conservative members. We mapped support for the eight candidates who finished #1 on the first ballot in at least one of Canada’s 338 ridings.

Here’s how the results would’ve turned out if there was only one round: 
[rdm-footable id=’791′]

*Six ridings had a first-place tie. Those ridings are included twice

*Data from Kevin O’Donnell

Andrew Scheer

Scheer’s support was spread across the country. He won every riding in his home province of Saskachewan.

Maxime Bernier

Bernier was the leader in the first-ballot choices.

Erin O’Toole

O’Toole’s strongest support was in southern Ontario, but he was also the first-ballot choice in ridings in Greater Vancouver, southern Manitoba and the Atlantic provinces.

Michael Chong

Chong had support in mostly urban ridings in Vancouver, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Halifax.

Brad Trost

Trost was the first-ballot choice in Greater Vancouver, Edmonton, Toronto and Montreal ridings.

Lisa Raitt

Raitt was the first choice in her home riding of Milton, Ont., as well as both ridings in Cape Breton.

Pierre Lemieux

Lemieux was the first-ballot choice in two ridings in southern Manitoba, and two in southern Ontario.

Kellie Leitch

Leitch was the first-ballot choice in two ridings in Greater Vancouver, and one riding near Toronto.

Correction: A previous version of this article stated that Pierre Lemieux won one riding in Quebec and one in Ontario. In fact, he won none in Quebec and two in Ontario.