This page lists the results of leadership elections held by the Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick or as it was known before March 3, 1943, the Conservative Party. Before 1925 leaders were chosen by the caucus.
1925 leadership convention
On May 27, 1925, John Babington Macaulay Baxter accepted an offer to lead the party in Saint John.
Developments 1925-1937 Baxter resigned as premier on appointment to the bench in 1931 and was succeeded as premier by Charles Richards on May 18 of that year. Richards was in turn appointed to the bench in 1933 and was succeeded as premier by Leonard Tilley on June 2 of that year. Following Tilley's personal defeat in the 1935 general election which also saw the Conservatives swept from power he resigned and Frederick C. Squires was chosen House leader on September 10.
1937 leadership convention
(Held on October 27, 1937)
Frederick C. Squires acclaimed
Squires resigned after the 1939 general election and Hugh H. Mackay was chosen House leader on January 20, 1940.
1942 leadership convention
(Held on September 23, 1942)
Hugh H. Mackay acclaimed
1951 leadership convention
(Held on July 11, 1951)
Hugh John Flemming acclaimed
Following his government's defeat in the 1960 general election Flemming was appointed to the federal cabinet and resigned as party leader. Cyril Sherwood was chosen House leader on November 5, 1960.
T. Babbitt Parlee was the only other contender.
1962 leadership convention
(Held on October 27, 1962)
Cyril Sherwood acclaimed
1966 leadership convention
(Held on November 26, 1966)
Charles Van Horne 458 Richard Hatfield 135 Roger Pichette 9
Van Horne was defeated in the 1967 election and resigned on February 8, 1968. Richard Hatfield was chosen House leader.
1969 leadership convention
(Held on June 14, 1969)
Richard Hatfield 799 Charles Van Horne 554 Mathilda Blanchard 13
Joe McDougall and William T. Walker withdrew before balloting.
1989 leadership convention
(Held November 4, 1989)
Barbara Baird Filliter 1,021 Hazen Myers 348
1991 leadership convention
(Held June 15, 1991)
Dennis Cochrane 955 Bev Lawrence 116
1995 leadership convention
(Held May 13, 1995)
Bernard Valcourt 944 Scott MacGregor 416 John Hazen 47
1997 leadership convention
(Held October 18, 1997)
First Ballot: Bernard Lord 1,390 Norm Betts 1,223 Cleveland Allaby 663 Margaret-Ann Blaney 527
Second Ballot (Blaney eliminated, Allaby withdrew): Bernard Lord 1,830 Norm Betts 1,413
2008 leadership convention
(Held on October 18, 2008)
David Alward 2,269 Robert MacLeod 1,760
2016 leadership convention
(Held on October 22, 2016)
First Ballot: Blaine Higgs 1,228 Mel Norton 1,078 Monica Barley 948 Mike Allen 892 Jake Stewart 700 Brian McDonald 605 Jean F. Dubé 39 (Stewart, McDonald and Dubé eliminated)
Second Ballot: Blaine Higgs 1,417 Mel Norton 993 Monica Barley 861 Mike Allen 829 (Barley and Allen eliminated)
Third Ballot:
Blaine Higgs 1,563 Mel Norton 1,169
2026 leadership convention
See also leadership convention Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick
References
Carty, Kenneth R., et al., Leaders and Parties in Canadian Politics: Experiences of the Provinces. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Canada, 1992. Stewart, Ian and Stewart, David K., Conventional choices: Maritime leadership politics. University of British Columbia Press, 2007. Canadian Annual Review 1925–26. Canadian Annual Review 1930–31.