The Ontario Progressive Conservative Party has chosen a former cable executive and influential party insider as its next leader.

John Tory pulled ahead of his closest rival, former Ontario finance minister Jim Flaherty, after the first ballot and won the second ballot with 56 per cent of the vote.

Third-place finisher Frank Klees dropped out after the first ballot. He had received 22 per cent of the votes, the majority of which went to elect Tory, a man who has never held political office despite an effort last fall to run for mayor of Toronto.

John Tory and his wife Barbara Hackett after his leadership win Saturday (CP photo)
John Tory and his wife Barbara Hackett after his leadership win Saturday (CP photo)

About 60,000 people were eligible to vote.

During the campaign, Tory positioned himself as a pragmatist who wants to move the party away from the style and substance of the right-wing platform implemented by former premier Mike Harris in the 1990s.

Flaherty had cautioned Conservatives not to pick a moderate candidate such as Tory, who he said, would try to be all things to all people and worry about the opinion of media and special interest groups.

Flaherty, who believes Mike Harris was one of Ontario's best premiers, campaigned on a promise to make government smaller, ban teachers' strikes, round up homeless people from the streets and privatize certain businesses.

"If it's in the Yellow Pages, government shouldn't be doing it and my government won't," Flaherty said.

Flaherty ran for the provincial party leadership in 2002 when then-premier Harris stepped down. He finished second.

Regardless of who becomes leader, the party cannot afford to be divisive, out-going leader Ernie Eves told a room of 600 party members Saturday afternoon.

"He cannot succeed without your loyalty," Eves said. "It is time for a new leader with a new vision."