Shelley Glover nearly won Manitoba PC lead race despite raising far less money

The race to become leader and prime minister of the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba was not close when it came to fundraising.

Shelley Glover finished just behind Heather Stefanson in last October’s lead race with 49% of the vote to Stefanson’s 51%.

Glover’s financial statements, filed this week with Elections Manitoba, show she has raised $188,000 in donations.

That’s about one-third of Stefanson’s $576,000 haul.

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Shelley Glover loses lawsuit over Manitoba PC lead

The race was called after former prime minister Brian Pallister announced he was stepping down last summer.

Glover went to court and claimed voting irregularities, but the judge ruled that she did not prove that any alleged irregularities affected the outcome.

Both Glover and Stefanson raised more money than they spent and ended their campaigns with a slight surplus.

Glover, a former Conservative MP, received $4,400 in legal fees but spent much less than Stefanson on polls, advertising, and salaries.

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Heather Stefanson won the Manitoba leadership race and became the province’s first female premier.