 The riding had previously been Liberal, and bordered on the seat belonging to Liberal Premier David Peterson; Cunningham's victory made her a rising star in the small Tory caucus.She ran for the leadership of the then third-place Conservatives in 1990, losing to Mike Harris in the party's first one member, one vote election for leader.She was considered a Red Tory, but was hurt by comparisons to Brian Mulroney, Canada's unpopular Progressive Conservative Prime Minister.