Potential local candidates for the federal Conservatives are ready to run for the nomination now that the party has chosen its leader.

In one ballot on Saturday, former Canadian Alliance leader Stephen Harper became the only major, right-wing party leader in Canada. Harper's 55.5 per cent on the first ballot was helped by the party's Yukon members.

The Yukon riding, which was worth 100 points like the 307 other ridings in the country, was won by Harper.

Harper scored 61.76 points from the territory, while industrialist Belinda Stronach garnered 32.35 points from the Yukon. Former Ontario Health minister Tony Clement managed 5.88 points in the Yukon.

While the Liberal party has acclaimed its candidate and a trio has entered the NDP nomination race, there has been nothing but silence from the Conservative camp in the Yukon. Officials said some people may have been waiting to see who the leader will be.

With Harper in place, Whitehorse security guard Don McKenzie said he would like to seek the nomination although his candidacy is not yet definite. As well, McKenzie hears he's not alone.

'Sounds like there's going to be three, maybe four of us,' McKenzie said this morning about potential candidates.

Michael Lauer, the local president of the Conservatives, said this afternoon three to five people may pursue the nomination, with one or two perhaps announcing their intentions this week.

McKenzie said he is still going through the party's application process for candidates but he does want to run for the nomination.

He feels it is time for the Yukon to return 'to its conservative roots,' he said today.

McKenzie worked for Alliance candidate Jim Kenyon in the 2000 federal election. Kenyon is now a territorial cabinet minister.

This is not the first time McKenzie has said he wants to run in a partisan election. In 1996, he planned to run in the territorial election for the New Democrats before pulling out for personal reasons.

While McKenzie supported Stronach and not Harper, he's happy with the new leader.

'I think Stephen, he is a good leader,' said McKenzie. 'He's definitely not Stockboy,' he added, referring to former Alliance leader Stockwell Day, who was tossed out by the party in two years.

Darcy Tkachuk, a local lawyer and supporter of the merger of the Alliance and Progressive Conservatives, also did not support Harper. Tkachuk threw his support behind Clement but also thinks the new leader will do well.

'I think that Mr. Harper has a lot of support out there so he should be able to translate that into electoral success,' said Tkachuk.

Like McKenzie, Tkachuk has pondered running for the Yukon nomination.

'I've given it some thought and I just think it would not be an opportune time.'

Despite his decision not to run, Tkachuk believes it will still be a contested vote.

While McKenzie and Tkachuk are happy with the party, Don Cox, a former Progressive Conservative candidate and long-time supporter, sees it as the completion of the takeover of the Progressive Conservatives by the old Reform/Alliance parties.

'We know how badly they wanted the name,' Cox said today of the Reform and Alliance parties.

Now, there is one party, the former Alliance is in charge of it and it is called the Conservative party.

'They just came in and took us over, very easily,' he said.

'All I've got left are my values.'

Cox said he will stay within the new party and try to promote the values of the old P.C. party, chiefly the quest to give Canadians the best model of governance.

He will watch to make sure the new Conservative party doesn't act like the Liberals.

However, Cox said Harper may be the person to lead the party in combat against the Grits.

Cox's name will not be on the ballot again this time. He said he can't help shape the party as an MP, so he won't make a second run.