After a raucous nomination meeting that lasted over six hours, the Hamilton West-Ancaster-Dundas provincial Progressive Conservative riding association selected Ben Levitt to be their candidate for the 2018 election.

"I'm still in a bit of a shock," said Levitt, later at a gathering attended by friends, family and supporters at Southcote 30. "I'm feeling pretty amazed after seeing all my friends, and family and new friends come out and support me today."

Levitt, 25, who lives on the west Mountain, defeated three other candidates, Jeffery Peller, Jobson Easow and Vikram Singh, on the third ballot after a long and strenuous May 7 nomination meeting held at the Ancaster High School.

Another candidate, Dundas businessman Kevin Gray, who announced his intention to seek the nomination, did not take part in the event.

After about an hour and a half of waiting for the ballots to be counted, Rick Dykstra, president of the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party announced in the school's cafeteria that Levitt was the winner. He was drowned out by Singh's supporters booing and shouting "cheater" at the candidate and provincial party officials.

Levitt attempted to talk to the crowd that had gathered, but his supporters quickly hustled him out of the school.

Singh, surrounded by his friends, refused to respond to questions from a reporter about the results and the anger experienced by his supporters.

Dykstra said there were 1,800 ballots cast, with "some" of them spoiled. He said all from the campaigns' representatives in the room "agreed" to remove the spoiled ballots.

He also said there were people who were denied the opportunity to vote because they didn't have the proper identification.

"We had that issue too," he said. "Credentials didn't match up with identifications. In large part most of the people voted."