1943 Ontario general election

1943 Ontario general election
90 seats in the 21st Legislative Assembly of Ontario ; 46 seats were needed for a majority
Premier before election; Harry Nixon; Liberal	Premier after election ; George Drew; Progressive Conservative

The 1943 Ontario general election was held on August 4, 1943, to elect the 90 Members of the 21st Legislative Assembly of Ontario (Members of Provincial Parliament, or "MPPs") of the Province of Ontario.^[1]

Background

Because of the outbreak of war, the Legislative Assembly had passed Acts in 1942^[2] and 1943^[3] to defer the calling of a general election. The latter extension had received royal assent in April 1943, but Premier Harry Nixon came into office the following month and opted to call an earlier election on June 30, 1943 for August 4, 1943. Noting that the last extension had been vigorously opposed by the Progressive Conservative opposition, he said, "We know of no precedent in the British Empire where a parliament extended its own life against an opposition vote."^[4]

Campaign

Riding contests, by number of candidates (1943)
Candidates	PC	CCF	Lib	Lab	Ind-Lib	Other	Total
2	3		3				6
3	75	74	74		1	1	225
4	9	9	9	2	1	6	36
5	3	3	3		2	4	15
Total	90	86	89	2	4	11	282

Outcome

The Ontario Progressive Conservative Party, led by George Drew, defeated the Ontario Liberal Party government. The Liberal government had disintegrated over the previous two years because of a conflict between Mitchell Hepburn, the Ontario caucus and the federal Liberal Party of Canada.

Hepburn resigned and was eventually succeeded by Harry Nixon in early 1943. The change in leadership was not enough to save the government. The election held later that year resulted in the Conservative Party, recently renamed the "Progressive Conservative Party", winning a minority government. This began forty-two uninterrupted years of government by the Tories who combined moderate progressive policies with pragmatism and caution.

The Liberals fell to third place behind a new force, the socialist Ontario Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF), led by Ted Jolliffe, went from obscurity to form the Official Opposition, winning 32% of the vote and 34 seats in the legislature, just four short of Drew's Tories. The Liberals and their Liberal-Progressive allies fell from 66 seats to a mere 15.

Two members of the banned Communist Party of Ontario running as "Labour" candidates won seats in the Legislature for the first time in this election: A.A. MacLeod in the Toronto riding of Bellwoods, and J.B. Salsberg in the Toronto riding of St. Andrews. Several days following the election the Labor-Progressive Party was officially formed and Salsberg and MacLeod agreed to sit in the legislature as the party's representatives.

The Legislature's first two female MPPs were elected in 1943:

First female MPPs (1943)
Party		MPP		Riding
	CCF		Rae Luckock	Bracondale
	CCF		Agnes Macphail	York East

Results

Elections to the 21st Parliament of Ontario (1943)^{[a 1]}
Political party		Party leader	MPPs					Votes
Political party		Party leader	Candidates	1937	Dissol.	1943	±	#	%	± (pp)
	Progressive Conservative	George Drew	90	23	19	38	15	469,672	35.75%	3.69
	Co-operative Commonwealth	Ted Jolliffe	86	–	–	34	34	415,441	31.62%	26.30
	Liberal	Harry Nixon	89	62	59	15	51	399,185	30.38%	20.65
	Liberal–Progressive^{[a 2]}		–	3	2	–		–	–
	United Farmers^{[a 3]}		–	1	–	–		–	–
	Labour^{[a 4]}		2	–	–	2	2	11,888	0.90%	0.15
	Independent Liberal^{[a 5]}		4	1	–	1		10,123	0.77%	0.55
	Independent Labour		2	–	–	–		2,215	0.17%	0.16
	Independent		3	–	–	–		2,540	0.19%	0.06
	Independent-CCF		1	–	–	–		1,566	0.12%	New
	Socialist Labour		3	–	–	–		740	0.06%	0.08
	Soldier		2	–	–	–		569	0.04%	New
	Vacant				10
Total			282	90	90	90		1,313,939	100.00%
Blank and invalid ballots								10,746
Registered voters / turnout								2,269,895	58.36%	12.93

^ "1943 General Election (Summary)". elections.on.ca. Elections Ontario. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
^ Roland Patterson (Grey North), Thomas Aston Blakelock (Halton) and Douglas Munro Campbell (Kent East) ran as Liberal candidates in 1943.
^ Farquhar Oliver (Grey South) became a Liberal on February 24, 1941, upon joining the Cabinet.
^ A. A. MacLeod (Bellwoods) and J. B. Salsberg (St. Andrew) were elected under the Labour ticket, but switched to the new Labor-Progressive Party on its formation shortly after the election.
^ Morrison Mann MacBride (Brantford) died in June 1938. Mitchell Hepburn (Elgin) opted not to run as a Liberal candidate in 1943.

Seats and popular vote by party
Party	Seats	Votes	Change (pp)
█ Progressive Conservative	38 / 90	35.75%	-3.69
█ Co-operative Commonwealth	34 / 90	31.62%	26.30	26.3
█ Liberal/Lib-Prog/UFO	15 / 90	30.38%	-20.65
█ Other	3 / 90	2.41%	-1.96

Synopsis of results

Results by riding - 1943 Ontario general election^{[a 1]}^{[a 2]}^{[a 3]}
Riding	Winning party								Turnout ^{[a 4]}	Votes
Name^{[a 5]}	1937		Party		Votes	Share	Margin #	Margin %		PC	CCF	Lib	Lab	Ind-Lib	Ind	Other	Total
Name^{[a 5]}	1937		Party		Votes	Share	Margin #	Margin %									Total

Addington		Con		PC	5,628	51.36%	1,752	15.99%	73.55%	5,628	1,453	3,876	–	–	–	–	10,957
Algoma—Manitoulin		Lib		Lib	3,755	39.03%	729	7.58%	63.52%	2,839	3,026	3,755	–	–	–	–	9,620
Brant		Lib		Lib	5,745	56.79%	3,505	34.65%	52.48%	2,240	2,131	5,745	–	–	–	–	10,116
Brantford		Ind-Lib		CCF	5,327	39.73%	1,045	7.79%	61.93%	3,800	5,327	4,282	–	–	–	–	13,409
Bruce		Lib		Lib	5,066	38.51%	76	0.58%	64.34%	4,990	3,100	5,066	–	–	–	–	13,156
Carleton		Con		PC	5,796	54.79%	2,522	23.84%	51.98%	5,796	1,508	3,274	–	–	–	–	10,578
Cochrane North		Lib		CCF	3,709	46.18%	414	5.16%	74.91%	1,027	3,709	3,295	–	–	–	–	8,031
Cochrane South*		Lib		CCF	12,995	57.01%	7,400	32.46%	67.37%	4,205	12,995	5,595	–	–	–	–	22,795
Dufferin—Simcoe		Con		PC	5,134	49.79%	2,513	24.37%	48.90%	5,134	2,557	2,621	–	–	–	–	10,312
Durham		Lib		PC	4,412	40.70%	286	2.64%	67.13%	4,412	2,303	4,126	–	–	–	–	10,841
Elgin		Lib		Ind-Lib	6,879	50.66%	2,605	19.19%	57.30%	4,274	2,425	–	–	6,879	–	–	13,578
Essex North		Lib		CCF	7,999	53.59%	4,846	32.46%	58.65%	2,405	7,999	3,153	–	1,213	–	157	14,927
Essex South		Lib		PC	3,940	41.51%	132	1.39%	49.25%	3,940	1,743	3,808	–	–	–	–	9,491
Fort William*		Con		CCF	8,701	60.36%	5,620	38.98%	66.56%	3,081	8,701	2,634	–	–	–	–	14,416
Glengarry		Lib		Lib	4,495	59.60%	1,934	25.64%	54.15%	2,561	486	4,495	–	–	–	–	7,542
Grenville—Dundas		Con		PC	6,829	64.92%	3,139	29.84%	48.65%	6,829	–	3,690	–	–	–	–	10,519
Grey North		L-P		Lib	4,826	37.52%	385	2.99%	65.35%	4,441	3,596	4,826	–	–	–	–	12,863
Grey South		UFO		Lib	5,617	50.46%	2,266	20.36%	63.96%	3,351	2,164	5,617	–	–	–	–	11,132
Haldimand—Norfolk		Lib		PC	7,868	44.90%	791	4.51%	61.62%	7,868	2,577	7,077	–	–	–	–	17,522
Halton		L-P		PC	4,474	38.51%	832	7.16%	58.89%	4,474	3,391	3,642	–	–	111	–	11,618
Hamilton East		Lib		CCF	6,739	34.35%	1,079	5.50%	61.82%	5,660	6,739	4,821	–	–	–	2,397	19,617
Hamilton Centre		Lib		CCF	8,592	47.30%	3,578	19.70%	54.23%	5,014	8,592	4,560	–	–	–	–	18,166
Hamilton—Wentworth		Lib		CCF	6,433	36.27%	583	3.29%	64.19%	5,850	6,433	5,453	–	–	–	–	17,736
Hastings East*		Con		PC	4,715	51.55%	1,414	15.46%	65.53%	4,715	1,130	3,301	–	–	–	–	9,146
Hastings West		Con		PC	6,530	47.91%	2,423	17.78%	60.85%	6,530	2,994	4,107	–	–	–	–	13,631
Huron		Lib		PC	4,889	44.00%	470	4.23%	63.64%	4,889	1,803	4,419	–	–	–	–	11,111
Huron—Bruce*		Lib		PC	4,588	38.00%	156	1.29%	66.98%	4,588	3,053	4,432	–	–	–	–	12,073
Kenora		Lib		CCF	4,891	51.77%	1,861	19.70%	70.39%	1,527	4,891	3,030	–	–	–	–	9,448
Kent East		L-P		PC	6,800	58.23%	1,923	16.47%	71.48%	6,800	–	4,877	–	–	–	–	11,677
Kent West		Lib		Lib	7,969	52.00%	2,575	16.80%	56.19%	5,394	1,963	7,969	–	–	–	–	15,326
Kingston*		Con		PC	6,555	46.49%	1,380	9.79%	60.82%	6,555	2,370	5,175	–	–	–	–	14,100
Lambton East		Lib		Lib	4,520	47.34%	778	8.15%	55.41%	3,742	1,285	4,520	–	–	–	–	9,547
Lambton West		Lib		CCF	4,967	35.14%	337	2.38%	68.34%	4,537	4,967	4,630	–	–	–	–	14,134
Lanark		Con		PC	7,126	55.95%	3,242	25.46%	62.15%	7,126	1,726	3,884	–	–	–	–	12,736
Leeds		Con		PC	7,666	51.52%	2,284	15.35%	67.00%	7,666	1,833	5,382	–	–	–	–	14,881
Lincoln*		Lib		PC	10,139	41.46%	2,701	11.04%	62.59%	10,139	7,438	6,880	–	–	–	–	24,457
London		Lib		PC	10,312	40.65%	2,360	9.30%	61.20%	10,312	7,952	7,103	–	–	–	–	25,367
Middlesex North		Lib		PC	4,670	39.00%	780	6.51%	62.32%	4,670	3,414	3,890	–	–	–	–	11,974
Middlesex South		Lib		PC	5,313	48.13%	1,044	9.46%	57.80%	5,313	1,458	4,269	–	–	–	–	11,040
Muskoka—Ontario		Lib		Lib	4,219	34.84%	88	0.73%	56.59%	4,131	3,759	4,219	–	–	–	–	12,109
Niagara Falls		Lib		CCF	7,519	45.76%	2,462	14.98%	61.66%	3,856	7,519	5,057	–	–	–	–	16,432
Nipissing		Lib		CCF	5,642	40.75%	1,637	11.82%	60.90%	2,327	5,642	4,005	–	1,871	–	–	13,845
Northumberland		Lib		PC	7,412	53.45%	2,136	15.40%	68.92%	7,412	1,178	5,276	–	–	–	–	13,866
Ontario*		Lib		CCF	8,745	44.07%	3,170	15.97%	64.58%	5,525	8,745	5,575	–	–	–	–	19,845
Ottawa East		Lib		Lib	11,004	74.70%	8,193	55.62%	43.03%	2,811	–	11,004	–	–	916	–	14,731
Ottawa South		Con		PC	11,870	43.94%	2,559	9.47%	46.69%	11,870	5,579	9,311	–	–	–	252	27,012
Oxford		Lib		PC	7,207	41.73%	1,461	8.46%	58.22%	7,207	4,319	5,746	–	–	–	–	17,272
Parry Sound		Lib		CCF	4,221	40.90%	889	8.61%	61.36%	2,768	4,221	3,332	–	–	–	–	10,321
Peel		Con		PC	7,101	50.27%	3,331	23.58%	62.15%	7,101	3,254	3,770	–	–	–	–	14,125
Perth		Lib		Lib	7,563	39.29%	18	0.09%	59.20%	7,545	4,143	7,563	–	–	–	–	19,251
Peterborough		Lib		PC	6,884	38.82%	800	4.51%	61.99%	6,884	4,763	6,084	–	–	–	–	17,731
Port Arthur		Lib		CCF	7,929	54.28%	3,919	26.83%	73.97%	2,668	7,929	4,010	–	–	–	–	14,607
Prescott		Lib		Lib	5,291	55.72%	1,614	17.00%	61.42%	528	3,677	5,291	–	–	–	–	9,496
Prince Edward—Lennox		Con		PC	5,863	52.64%	1,307	11.74%	60.40%	5,863	718	4,556	–	–	–	–	11,137
Rainy River		Lib		CCF	2,600	39.37%	574	8.69%	69.59%	1,978	2,600	2,026	–	–	–	–	6,604
Renfrew North		Lib		PC	4,185	40.82%	606	5.91%	69.61%	4,185	2,489	3,579	–	–	–	–	10,253
Renfrew South		Lib		Lib	4,921	53.80%	695	7.60%	58.66%	4,226	–	4,921	–	–	–	–	9,147
Russell		Lib		Lib	4,092	56.50%	1,996	27.56%	42.02%	2,096	1,054	4,092	–	–	–	–	7,242
Sault Ste. Marie		Lib		CCF	7,173	55.70%	4,104	31.87%	65.09%	2,637	7,173	3,069	–	–	–	–	12,879
Simcoe Centre		Lib		PC	4,176	41.99%	584	5.87%	55.51%	4,176	2,177	3,592	–	–	–	–	9,945
Simcoe East		Con		PC	4,766	43.76%	1,622	14.89%	59.42%	4,766	2,980	3,144	–	–	–	–	10,890
Stormont		Lib		PC	5,860	42.45%	686	4.97%	64.72%	5,860	2,772	5,174	–	–	–	–	13,806
Sudbury		Lib		CCF	15,169	59.89%	7,587	29.96%	68.43%	1,062	15,169	7,582	–	–	1,513	–	25,326
Temiskaming		Lib		CCF	5,219	54.18%	2,370	24.60%	71.97%	1,565	5,219	2,849	–	–	–	–	9,633
Victoria		Con		PC	6,985	57.36%	2,943	24.17%	62.15%	6,985	1,150	4,042	–	–	–	–	12,177
Waterloo North		Lib		CCF	7,570	41.10%	1,115	6.05%	49.76%	4,392	7,570	6,455	–	–	–	–	18,417
Waterloo South		Lib		CCF	6,831	45.62%	1,958	13.08%	58.13%	3,269	6,831	4,873	–	–	–	–	14,973
Welland		Lib		CCF	8,256	47.35%	3,239	18.58%	59.73%	4,163	8,256	5,017	–	–	–	–	17,436
Wellington North		Lib		Lib	5,556	48.82%	1,358	11.93%	56.64%	4,198	1,626	5,556	–	–	–	–	11,380
Wellington South		Lib		CCF	4,753	38.75%	848	6.91%	59.76%	3,905	4,753	3,607	–	–	–	–	12,265
Wentworth		Lib		CCF	9,963	51.21%	4,680	24.05%	58.73%	5,283	9,963	4,210	–	–	–	–	19,456
Windsor—Walkerville		Lib		CCF	6,711	44.24%	2,377	15.67%	58.41%	4,124	6,711	4,334	–	–	–	–	15,169
Windsor—Sandwich		Lib		CCF	6,455	43.51%	1,332	8.98%	50.63%	5,123	6,455	3,256	–	–	–	–	14,834
York East		Con		CCF	13,384	45.47%	1,740	5.91%	52.30%	11,644	13,384	4,410	–	–	–	–	29,438
York North		Lib		CCF	6,266	36.25%	531	3.07%	56.94%	5,735	6,266	5,283	–	–	–	–	17,284
York South		Con		CCF	11,024	49.32%	2,484	11.11%	48.09%	8,540	11,024	2,788	–	–	–	–	22,352
York West		Lib		CCF	10,720	42.05%	1,308	5.13%	53.77%	9,412	10,720	5,364	–	–	–	–	25,496
Beaches		Con		PC	6,926	43.75%	42	0.27%	59.02%	6,926	6,884	2,021	–	–	–	–	15,831
Bellwoods*		Lib		Lab	4,312	30.37%	526	3.70%	53.58%	3,786	2,681	3,420	4,312	–	–	–	14,199
Bracondale		Lib		CCF	4,681	38.56%	286	2.36%	49.88%	4,395	4,681	2,765	–	–	–	298	12,139
Dovercourt		Con		PC	7,265	43.47%	2,002	11.98%	49.39%	7,265	5,263	2,618	–	–	–	1,566	16,712
Eglinton		Lib		PC	13,832	50.23%	6,887	25.01%	59.15%	13,832	6,759	6,945	–	–	–	–	27,536
High Park*		Con		PC	7,953	41.83%	466	2.45%	59.33%	7,953	7,487	3,422	–	–	–	149	19,011
Parkdale		Con		PC	9,256	44.58%	2,086	10.05%	55.22%	9,256	7,170	4,339	–	–	–	–	20,765
Riverdale		Con		CCF	7,640	44.15%	218	1.26%	49.15%	7,422	7,640	2,244	–	–	–	–	17,306
St. Andrew		Lib		Lab	7,576	53.13%	5,071	35.56%	56.44%	2,505	1,811	2,368	7,576	–	–	–	14,260
St. David		Lib		CCF	5,678	41.11%	619	4.48%	55.13%	5,059	5,678	3,074	–	–	–	–	13,811
St. George*		Lib		PC	7,205	46.81%	2,764	17.96%	49.46%	7,205	4,441	3,316	–	160	–	271	15,393
St. Patrick		Lib		PC	4,694	43.71%	1,616	15.05%	52.33%	4,694	3,078	2,967	–	–	–	–	10,739
Woodbine		Con		CCF	8,848	47.92%	1,616	8.75%	54.10%	7,232	8,848	2,385	–	–	–	–	18,465

^ "1943 General Election (Summary)". elections.on.ca. Elections Ontario. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
^ Party affiliations verified with "Tabulation Of Vote For Constituencies; Other Election Gleanings". Ottawa Citizen. August 5, 1943. p. 15.
^ Turnouts verified with "Sessional Paper No. 40: Return from the records of the General Election to the Legislative Assembly in 1943". Sessional Papers, No. LXXVI - Part IV. Toronto: King's Printer. 1944. pp. 6–7.
^ including spoilt ballots
^ order is as given in EO reports

* - seat was vacant when election called

= open seat

= turnout is above provincial average

= winning candidate was in previous Legislature

= incumbent switched allegiance for the election

= incumbency arose from byelection gain

= previously incumbent in another riding

= other incumbents renominated

= previously an MP in the House of Commons of Canada

= multiple candidates

Analysis

Party candidates in 2nd place
Party in 1st place		Party in 2nd place			Total
Party in 1st place		PC	CCF	Lib	Total
	Progressive Conservative		8	30	38
	Co-operative Commonwealth	15		19	34
	Liberal	13	2		15
	Labour	2			2
	Independent Liberal	1			1
Total		31	10	49	90

Candidates ranked 1st to 5th place, by party
Parties	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	Total
█ Progressive Conservative	38	31	20	1		90
█ Co-operative Commonwealth	34	10	40	2		86
█ Liberal	15	49	25			89
█ Labour	2					2
█ Independent Liberal	1			2	1	4
█ Independent			2	1		3
█ Socialist Labour				2	1	3
█ Soldier				2		2
█ Independent Labour				1	1	2
█ Independent-CCF				1		1

Seats that changed hands

Elections to the 21st Parliament of Ontario – seats won/lost by party, 1937–1943
Party		1937	Gain from (loss to)														1943
Party		1937	PC		CCF		Lib		Lbr-P		I-Lib		L-Pro		UFO		1943
	Progressive Conservative	23				(5)	19						1				38
	Co-operative Commonwealth	–	5				28				1						34
	Liberal	63		(19)		(28)				(2)		(1)	1		1		15
	Labor–Progressive	–					2										2
	Independent-Liberal^{[a 1]}	1				(1)	1										1
	Liberal–Progressive^{[a 2]}	2		(1)				(1)									–
	United Farmers^{[a 3]}	1						(1)									–
Total		90	5	(20)	–	(34)	50	(2)	–	(2)	1	(1)	1	–	1	–	90

^ Morrison Mann MacBride (Brantford) had died in office in 1938. Mitchell Hepburn (Elgin) was re-elected as an Independent-Liberal in 1943
^ Roland Patterson (Grey North) was re-elected as a Liberal, while Douglas Campbell (Kent East) retired from the legislature.
^ Farquhar Oliver (Grey South) was re-elected as a Liberal.

There were 58 seats that changed allegiance in the election.

PC to CCF

Liberal to PC

Liberal to CCF

Liberal to Labor-Progressive

Liberal to Independent-Liberal

Elgin

Independent-Liberal to CCF

Brantford

Liberal-Progressive to PC

Kent East

Liberal-Progressive to Liberal

Grey North

UFO to Liberal

Grey South

Resulting composition of the 21st Legislative Assembly of Ontario
Source		Party
Source		PC	CCF	Lib	Lab	I-Lib	Total
Seats retained	Incumbents returned	13		15			28
	Open seats held (vacant)	3					3
	Open seats held (other)	2					2
	Incumbent changed allegiance					1	1
Seats changing hands	Incumbents defeated	13	23		1		37
	Open seats gained (vacant)	3	3		1		7
	Open seats gained (other)	4	7				11
	Ouster of byelection gain by third party		1				1
Total		38	34	15	2	1	90

References

^ "1943 General Election". Elections Ontario. Retrieved January 3, 2021.
^ The Legislative Assembly Extension Act, 1942, S.O. 1942, c. 24
^ The Legislative Assembly Extension Act, 1943, S.O. 1943, c. 12
^ "Premier Nixon Announces Date of Provincial Vote. Nominations to Be Held on July 28. Ontario Legislature Dissolved". Ottawa Citizen. July 1, 1943. p. 1.