Monte McNaughton joins race for leader of Ontario's Progressive Conservatives

Monte McNaughton, right, speaks during a press conference, Friday, Sept. 13, 2013.

TORONTO - A second member of the Ontario Progressive Conservative caucus is officially joining the race to become the new leader of the official opposition.

Monte McNaughton says he has decided to run to replace former PC Leader Tim Hudak, who resigned after losing his second consecutive election to the Liberals in June.

The 37-year-old McNaughton has already visited 54 of Ontario's 107 ridings seeking support from Conservatives in advance of a leadership convention that's not expected until sometime next year.

McNaughton says the Tories must get rid of the insiders responsible for what he calls disastrous election campaigns, and wants all party members to have a vote on their next election platform.

He is only the second declared leadership candidate after Whitby's Christine Elliott, deputy PC leader and widow of former finance minister Jim Flaherty.

But two other Ontario Tories, Vic Fedeli and Lisa MacLeod, have been signing up caucus colleagues to support their leadership bids, which aren't expected to become official until next week.