He next entered provincial politics and was elected in 1991 as leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick. In this role he regained seats for his party in the 1991 election, the PCs having been shut out in the 1987 election. Though his party won only three seats, it gained others later through by-elections and seemed poised to win, at least, official opposition status in the coming election. The opposition Confederation of Regions Party was suffering internal strife and a number of its members chose to sit as independents. Cochrane invited them to join the PC caucus; however, they declined and one of the Acadian members quit in protest. As a result, Cochrane resigned the leadership in 1995.
