Drew, a former mayor of Guelph, became leader of the Conservative Party of Ontario in 1938 at a time when the province was in the firm grips of Liberal Premier Mitch Hepburn. The Liberal government went through a series of crises during the war due to Hepburn's feud with William Lyon Mackenzie King and the federal Liberals. Hepburn was forced to resign and in 1943, Drew's Tories won a minority government narrowly beating the socialist Ontario CCF led by Ted Jolliffe. Drew's Tories, by then called the Progressive Conservatives won by responding to the mood of the times and running on a relatively left-wing platform promising such radical reforms as free dental care and Medicare (Canada). Drew himself, however, was somewhat reactionary and was prone to make anti-Semitic, anti-French and anti-Catholic comments. While his government did not implement much of its promised platform (including Medicare or denticare) it did establish the basis for the Tory regimes that followed by trying to steer a moderate course. Drew's government also introduced the Drew Regulation in 1944 which made it compulsory for Ontario schools to provide one hour of religious instruction a week.

The Drew government called an election in 1947 in an attempt to get a majority government and, by exploiting increasing Cold War tensions were able to defeat Jolliffe's CCF by stoking fears about communism. While the Tories won a majority Drew himself was defeated in the riding of High Park by CCFer and Temperance crusader "Bible Bill" Temple who targeted Drew over his softening of Ontario's liquor laws.

While it would have been easy enough for Drew to re-enter the legislature by running in a by-election, Col. Drew (as he liked to be called) decided to answer a higher calling and enter federal politics running and winning the leadership of the federal Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 1948 and going to Ottawa as Leader of the Opposition. Drew did not enjoy the same success however being defeated handily by the Liberals led by Louis St. Laurent in the 1948 and 1953 federal elections - his comments calling French-Canadians a defeated race certainly did not win him any support in Quebec. In declining health, Drew resigned as Progressive Conservative leader in 1956 and was succeeded by John George Diefenbaker.

Preceded by: Harry Nixon

List of Ontario premiers

Succeeded by: Thomas Kennedy