Elsie Wayne (interim) Joe Clark The 1998 Progressive Conservative leadership election was held on October 24 and November 14, 1998 to choose a successor to Jean Charest.

This was the first time the Progressive Conservatives used a one member, one vote system to choose a leader rather than a delegated leadership convention, which has been the norm since 1927.

The Progressive Conservatives had formed two back-to-back majority governments under Brian Mulroney from 1984 to 1993 but in the 1993 federal election under leader Kim Campbell, the party had almost been completely wiped out.

Charest announced on March 28, 1998 that he was resigning as federal Progressive Conservative leader in order to seek the leadership of the Quebec Liberal Party.

[4] The Progressive Conservatives, meanwhile, after two successive electoral defeats were under pressure from a Unite the Right movement for the Progressive Conservatives to co-operate with the Reform Party of Canada; Manitoba Tory cabinet minister Brian Pallister, Major-General Lewis MacKenzie, former Reform MP Stephen Harper, former Manitoba premier Gary Filmon, Alberta premier Ralph Klein, and former Alberta treasurer Jim Dinning were all encouraged to run as Unite the Right candidates for leader - with Pallister proceeding to do so.