Kathleen Wynne appears poised to be the next premier of Ontario.

Although Sandra Pupatello widened her lead over Wynne in the second ballot in the Ontario Liberal leadership race Saturday, Wynne quickly secured the support of the last two also-rans in the contest.

Even the most optimistic strategists in Pupatello’s campaign admitted their odds were slim after Charles Sousa and Gerard Kennedy dropped out to support Wynne.

Pupatello, a former MPP for Windsor West, took 817 votes to 750 for Wynne, the MPP for Don Valley West, breaking away from the rest of the pack and setting the stage for third ballot showdown.

To win on the second ballot, either women would have had to notch at least 1,037 votes — which put both within striking distance of victory.

“It’s closer than we thought,” said a Wynne strategist. “It feels good.”

Both women notched significant gains from the first ballot but left former Parkdale-High Park MPP Kennedy in a distant third place with support of 285 delegates, up just four votes.

Mississauga South MPP Sousa was fourth with 203 votes and Harinder Takhar, the MPP for Mississauga-Erindale, was officially eliminated from the race with 18 votes after throwing his support to Pupatello shortly after the first ballot.

That move — in which Takhar missed the deadline to withdraw from the second ballot — followed a move by Eric Hoskins to the Wynne camp.

Takhar had remained on the ballot because he only decided to cross to Pupatello 10 minutes before making the move, insiders said. There was no quid pro quo deal between the two.

“Harinder and I have talked since the very beginning. He and I don’t need promises,” Pupatello told reporters standing with Takhar in her box at Maple Leaf Gardens.

“Sandra has better policies … job creation is important to me,” Takhar added.

Pupatello recruited Takhar into provincial politics in 20003 and the two have been allies in cabinet over the years.

After Saturday’s first ballot of 2,084 delegates at the convention at Maple Leaf Gardens, Pupatello, former Windsor West MPP, led with 599 votes.

Wynne, the Don Valley West MPP, was close behind with 597.

The magic number to win is 1,042 votes.

In third place was former Parkdale-High Park MP and MPP Gerard Kennedy, runner-up to McGuinty in the 1996 contest, with 281.

Takhar, Mississauga-Erindale MPP, was fourth with 235.

Mississauga South MPP Charles Sousa was fifth with 222.

In last place was Hoskins, who garnered 150 delegate votes, and was automatically eliminated.

It wasn’t long before Hoskins was on the move, dramatically pointing at the Wynne camp.

“I was thrilled. We didn’t think it would be that close and that’s fantastic, it gives us great momentum” Wynne said after she gave Hoskins a big hug for coming over.

She didn’t give details about what cabinet position she may have promised Hoskins. “I’d be happy to have all of the candidates in my cabinet,” she said.

Hoskins said picking Wynne over Pupatello was a “tough decision.”

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“At the end of the day it was about a whole bunch of different things, she definitely does have momentum ... and in terms of a value system that we share, she’s a strong team player,” he said.

Prior to the first ballot, the candidates made their case for victory.

Pupatello said she is the only candidate who could fend off Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak and NDP Leader Andrea Horwath.

“Let me be clear on this point: I know Ontarians don’t want an election. But if we are forced into one, we will be ready. And I am the candidate that can win that election,” she said.

“Our party needs a leader who can inspire and motivate Liberals, A leader who can bring a campaign to life and the opposition to its knees. In the meantime we have work to do as a government.”

Wynne, for her part, wasted no time trying to put the gay “question” to rest in a direct appeal to delegates.

“Let’s put something on the table,” the openly lesbian former cabinet minister said in a speech aimed at securing the extra support needed to win.

“Is Ontario ready for a gay premier? You’ve heard that question. Let’s say what that actually means. Can a gay woman win?”

Wynne said she proved that winning her riding in 2003, then referred to rival candidates and their ethnic and religious backgrounds — Portuguese, Italian, Indian, Catholic.

Kennedy stressed the need for the party to renew itself or face the prospect of the Liberals ending up in third place come the next election.

“If we are really honest, we know that we have started to lose the confidence of the public that gives us the licence to do keep doing the work we’ve been doing. You’ve heard the rumblings about our failure to listen,” he told the crowd.

Takhar made his final pitch for the premier’s job with an acknowledgement he’s not a household name in Ontario.

“Who is this guy? What is he all about?” Takhar asked rhetorically as he took the stage.

Aiming his remarks largely at his new Canadian support base, the MPP for Mississauga-Erindale recounted how he came to Toronto in 1974 and worked in a factory for $1.85 an hour until he could upgrade his accountant’s credentials and find work in his field.

Sousa, for his part, pledged to be the “jobs premier.”

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