The votes are in, and Avi Lewis has been elected leader of the federal NDP on the first ballot. And while that doesn’t come as a huge surprise based on what we knew about the race, there are a couple of parts of the outcome which bear watching.

First, to the extent there was any surprise in the outcome of the vote, it was Rob Ashton’s finish in a distant fourth place. 

He’d received a substantial number of endorsements both from labour leaders and provincial elected officials, and his fund-raising was solidly ahead of the projected also-ran candidates. And it surely can’t be a great sign that the candidate branded as the union choice was the weakest in the field at turning institutional resources into organizing results. 

Conversely, Tanille Johnston’s placement in third was a pleasant surprise – which fit my own ballot if not my expectations. And it’s certainly a plus that she’s been recognized around the convention as a key leader for the NDP’s future.

Meanwhile, as the newly-elected leader worked from minute one to bring the party together in solidarity, two provincial leaders unfortunately chose to undermine that effort. Naheed Nenshi’s immediate disavowal of Lewis and the NDP could at least be explained away partially by a lack of personal connection to the party; Carla Beck’s immediate declaration of a refusal to even meet with Lewis is both more surprising and more disappointing.

But ultimately, the leadership campaign determined who best represents the will of voters from coast to coast to coast – including in Alberta and Saskatchewan. And the choice to abandon the federal NDP and the national progressive movement just as they reach a point of revitalization and renewal will ultimately ensure primarily that those provincial wings miss out on what still looks to be a wave of energy and excitement around an impressive new leader.