It came after a turbulent year of disputed and allegedly fraudulent nominations contests across the province for local PC candidates.

[citation needed] Doug Ford and Tanya Granic Allen raised concerns over the security and legitimacy of the vote.

Ford stated he believed "party elites" and "the establishment" would try to steal the election and said "there should be security cameras on the servers".

[14] Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli was elected as interim leader by the PC parliamentary caucus in a unanimous vote on January 26, 2018.

[9] Christine Elliott, 69, is the former non-partisan Patient Ombudsman for Ontario (2016–2018), a past PC leadership candidate (2009 and 2015) and former MPP (Whitby—Ajax 2006–07, Whitby—Oshawa 2007–15).

[9][41] She is a lawyer by training, and is the widow of former federal Minister of Finance, and 2002 and 2004 Ontario PC leadership candidate Jim Flaherty.

[44] Endorsements Doug Ford, 60, is a businessman and politician who is currently seeking the PC nomination in Etobicoke North for the upcoming June 2018 provincial election.

[107][108] Ford announced on February 1, 2018, that he would devote his energy to the leadership race and was no longer intending to run in the 2018 Toronto mayoral election.

[126][127] Granic Allen opposes abortion and also supported repealing and replacing the Liberal government's new sex education curriculum.

[178] Brown withdrew ten days after announcing his candidacy, claiming that he and his family had been subjected to threats for entering the contest.

His withdrawal occurred hours after reports surfaced that as leader he had directed top party officials: "get me the result I want", in a riding nomination that has subsequently become the focus of a Hamilton Police Service investigation for alleged fraud and also the same day that the Integrity Commissioner announced an investigation of Brown's travel expenses and other alleged financial improprieties.

[179][180][181] Endorsements Vic Fedeli, 68, was the Interim Leader (2018), Finance Critic and MPP for Nippissing (2011–present), past leadership candidate (2015) and former mayor of North Bay, Ontario (2003–2010).