Charles Sousa and Gerard Kennedy have given Kathleen Wynne the upper hand in winning the premiership, shifting support to her after the second round of voting.

Former Windsor West MPP Sandra Pupatello had extended her lead over Wynne to 67 votes after the second ballot, but Sousa and then Kennedy moved to support Wynne, giving the Toronto MPP what is likely a decisive lead ahead of the third and final round of voting.

After endorsing Wynne, Kennedy released his delegates, leaving them free to back the candidate of their choice in the next round.


Sousa's move to Wynne was a surprise; the Mississauga South MPP is considered to be on the party's right while Wynne is more of a progressive.

The moves mean Wynne, an openly gay MPP who represents the riding of Don Valley West, is now in a good position to become Ontario's first female premier as delegates enter the final round of balloting. But getting the results of that vote could take a while.

There were unconfirmed rumours of a flood in the voting area, possibly caused by a broken water pipe. At 6 p.m., long lines of delegates waiting to vote snaked upstairs from the voting area.

Hours earlier, Harinder Takhar, as the last-place finisher, was forced off the ballot after the second round.

Takhar had pledged his support to Pupatello after the first round, even though he was not forced to drop from the ballot.

Eric Hoskins threw his support behind Wynne after finishing last in the first round.

With files from The Canadian Press