Progressive Conservatives today elected Niagara-area MPP Tim Hudak as their new leader, charting a new right-wing course for a party that has struggled while moored in the political centre for the past seven years.

In a third-ballot victory at the PC convention in Markham, Hudak, 41, bested MPP Frank Klees, 58, (Newmarket-Aurora), winning 5,606 of 10,250 electoral votes cast in 107 ridings in the preferential-ballot contest.

The married father of a toddler won by securing the second-choice votes of also-ran MPPs Christine Elliott, 54, (Whitby-Oshawa) and Randy Hillier, 51, (Lanark-Frontenac-Lennox and Addington).

He will lead the Tories to battle against Premier Dalton McGuinty Liberals in the 2011 election.

Heir apparent to former premier Mike Harris, who governed Ontario from 1995 until 2002, Hudak plans to steer the party back to the right following politically unsuccessful forays to the centre by former premier Ernie Eves, leader from 2002 to 2004, and John Tory, who led from 2004 until his surprise defeat in a March 5 by-election in Haliburton.

Hudak, front-runner throughout the campaign, led on all three ballots in the contest, which ended up being something of an "Anybody But Klees" vote.

After the second ballot at the party's convention this afternoon in Markham, Hudak had secured 4,128 of 10,332 electoral votes.

Klees, a social conservative who was backed by a coalition of evangelical Christians, anti-abortion activists, and new Canadians, sat in a second with 3,299 electoral votes and Elliott was third with 2,903.

Senior Elliott campaign sources had told the Star that her supporters would break "two to one for Hudak."

Elliott herself remained publicly neutral after dropping out.

"There are two good candidates left in the race," she said as she exited the convention room floor with her husband Finance Minister Jim Flaherty at her side.

"Of course, you always want to win but I am happy with how the campaign went and the race we ran," said Elliott, who put on a brave face.

On the first ballot, announced around 11 a.m., Hudak — the heir apparent to former premier Mike Harris in whose cabinet he served -- finished with 3,511 of 10,348 electoral votes cast from 107 ridings. Klees had 3,093 and Elliott had 2,728.

Prior to the voting last Sunday and Thursday, Hillier, who received just 1,013 electoral votes, had instructed his supporters to make Hudak their second choice in the preferential-ballot election.

"I'm happy with my showing," said Hillier, who largely defined the policy debate during the campaign with his passionate libertarian views.

"I voted for Tim as my second choice," he said.

The leadership of the party opened up after former party chief John Tory unexpectedly lost a March 5 by-election in Haliburton.

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In a stirring address to the convention, Tory, who is mulling a 2010 bid against Mayor David Miller for the Toronto mayoralty, urged the party to come together after a divisive several years.

Some 25,429 of 43,000 eligible Tories voted in the contest across Ontario.

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