The 1958 Liberal Party of Canada leadership election was called to replace Liberal leader

Louis St. Laurent Louis Stephen St. Laurent (''Saint-Laurent'' or ''St-Laurent'' in French, baptized Louis-Étienne St-Laurent; February 1, 1882 – July 25, 1973) was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 12th prime minister of Canada from 19 ...

, who had resigned as Prime Minister after the party's sudden defeat in the 1957 election. On the first ballot, former External Affairs minister

Lester Pearson Lester Bowles "Mike" Pearson (23 April 1897 – 27 December 1972) was a Canadian scholar, statesman, diplomat, and politician who served as the 14th prime minister of Canada from 1963 to 1968. Born in Newtonbrook, Ontario (now part of ...

defeated former cabinet minister Paul Martin and Mayor of Portage la Prairie,

Harold Lloyd Henderson Rev. Harold Lloyd Henderson (1907 - January 18, 1993) was a Presbyterian minister and politician in Manitoba, Canada. Life and work H. Lloyd Henderson was born in Freeland, Prince Edward Island, and attended schools in Freeland, Summerside, Prin ...

Background

The Liberals had held power for 22 years until their defeat in the 1957 federal election on June 10, 1957, which returned a Progressive Conservative

minority government A minority government, minority cabinet, minority administration, or a minority parliament is a government and Cabinet (government), cabinet formed in a parliamentary system when a political party or Coalition government, coalition of parties do ...

, who had led the Liberals since 1948, announced on September 6, 1957 that he would not be leading the Liberals into another election.

Candidates

, 51, Mayor of Portage la Prairie, Manitoba. * Paul Martin Sr., 54, former Minister of National Health and Welfare (1946-1957), MP for Essex East, Ontario since 1935. *

, 60, former Secretary of State for External Affairs (1948-1957), MP for

Algoma East Algoma East was a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that was represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1904 to 1968. It was created in 1903 from parts of Algoma riding. It initially consisted of the territorial district ...

, Ontario since 1948.

Donald Hugh Mackay Donald Hugh Mackay (March 22, 1914 – January 26, 1979) was the 26th Mayor of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Early life He spent his youth in Calgary and Drumheller, receiving most of his public school education in Drumheller. In the early 1930s, Ma ...

, Mayor of Calgary, withdrew his candidacy a week before the convention. Former Finance Minister

Walter Edward Harris Walter Edward Harris, (January 14, 1904 – January 10, 1999) was a Canadian politician and lawyer. Harris was first elected to the House of Commons of Canada as the Liberal Member of Parliament (MP) for the Ontario riding of Grey-Bruce ...

, who had lost his seat in the election, had initially been expected to be Pearson's main competitor but did not run. Newfoundland MP and former Minister for Citizenship and Immigration Jack Pickersgill was also expected to run but did not stand. Other names mentioned as possible candidates were former Fisheries Minister and British Columbia MP James Sinclair (

Coast—Capilano Coast—Capilano was a federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, that was represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1949 to 1968. This riding was created in 1947 from parts of Vancouver North riding. The riding consiste ...

), former Transport Minister and Montreal MP

George Carlyle Marler George Carlyle Marler, (September 14, 1901 – April 10, 1981) was a politician, notary and philatelist in Quebec, Canada. Education Born in Montreal, Quebec, Marler studied at Selwyn House School, Bishop's College School, Royal Naval Col ...

(

Saint-Antoine—Westmount St. Antoine—Westmount and Saint-Antoine—Westmount were federal electoral districts in Quebec, Canada, that were represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1935 to 1968. "St. Antoine—Westmount" riding was created in 1933 from part ...

), and former Public Works Minister

Robert Winters Robert Henry Winters, (August 18, 1910 – October 10, 1969) was a Canadian politician, businessman, and businessman. Life and career Born in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, the son of a fishing captain, Winters went to Mount Allison University in Ne ...

who had lost his

Queens—Lunenburg Queens—Lunenburg was a federal electoral district in the province of Nova Scotia, Canada, that was represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1925 to 1949 and from 1953 to 1968. This riding was created in 1924 from parts of Lunenbur ...

, Nova Scotia seat in the election. Pearson was the choice of the party establishment, had strong support from MPs in Quebec and Toronto, and won overwhelmingly on the first ballot and was also helped by being awarded the 1957 Nobel Peace Prize weeks before the convention. Martin, who had been on the left of the St. Laurent cabinet, attempted to appeal to the rank-and-file,

Results

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Liberal Party Of Canada Leadership Election, 1958

1958 Events January * January 1 – The European Economic Community (EEC) comes into being. * January 3 – The West Indies Federation is formed. * January 4 ** Edmund Hillary's Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition completes the third ...

1958 elections in Canada Liberal Party of Canada leadership election