Rod Phillips will not be joining the Ontario Progressive Conservative leadership race and will instead throw his support behind Caroline Mulroney’s expected leadership run.
In a statement obtained by CTV News Toronto, Phillips said he’s “humbled” by the many friends and party activists who have urged him to run, but that “it is more urgent than ever that we choose a leader who can unite our party, and defeat Kathleen Wynne.”
“After speaking with my wife Lydia, consulting close friends I’ve made over my many years in the party, and reflecting on what it will take to bring our party together and to win the coming election, I have concluded that Caroline Mulroney is the leader Ontario’s PCs need, and I am committing my support to her,” Phillips said in the statement.
“Caroline and I, like many of our Party’s candidates across Ontario, represent a new generation of inclusive and accountable leadership for the Progressive Conservative Party. Caroline will unite our party and lead us to victory in June, and I look forward to working closely with her to achieve that.”
Phillips, the former chair of Postmedia, had been one of a number of rumored leadership candidates since the sudden resignation of Patrick Brown touched off a leadership race last month.
Brown stepped down Jan. 25, amid allegations of sexual misconduct by two women. He maintains that the allegations are untrue, but said he would nevertheless step aside as he defends against them.
A leadership vote is expected to take place next month to select a new leader.
So far, former Toronto city councilor Doug Ford and former MPP Christine Elliott have officially declared that they are running.
Caroline Mulroney confirmed Sunday night that she is jumping into the leadership contest as well. Mulroney, a lawyer and the daughter of former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, is the confirmed PC candidate for the riding of York-Simcoe.
Mulroney retweeted Phillips’ statement on Twitter Sunday evening and thanked him for his support.
“Thank you @RodPhillips01!” she wrote in the tweet. “Your dedication to public service knows no limits. You’re going to be an outstanding MPP for the people of Ajax!”
While Phillips won’t be seeking the party leadership, he is the confirmed candidate for the riding of Ajax. He said he will be urging his supporters and all those who encouraged him to run to instead support Mulroney.
“We have the opportunity to choose a determined, fresh and dynamic leader, in Caroline Mulroney,” he said in the statement. “Caroline has my enthusiastic support, because she will unite our party and lead us to victory.”
Party working to rebuild
Whoever does win the top job will be faced with the task of uniting the party just months ahead of the provincial election in June.
In addition to Brown’s departure, former party President Rick Dykstra suddenly announced he was stepping down from his role on Jan. 28, hours before a sexual assault allegation emerged against him. Dykstra has denied the allegation.
None of the allegations against Brown or Dykstra have been proven in court.
In a further blow to the party, news also emerged a week ago that the party’s internal database was hacked. The database contains the names, phone numbers and other personal information of over a million eligible voters in the province, as well as party supporters, donors and campaign volunteers.
In a statement, the party said no data was actually stolen in the breach. Still, they vowed to tighten security around their systems.
Interim Ontario PC Leader Vic Fedeli, who abandoned his own leadership bid in order to work on rooting out the “rot” from the party, said last week that internal party structure and systems are in worse shape than he expected.
Still Fedeli expressed optimism that he will be able to get the party in shape in time for a new leader to run a smooth election.
