Although she only ended up garnering 74 votes, Haile was the first female candidate for provincial office in Ontario. She may have been the first woman to run for major elected office within the entire British Empire.

Haile ran for office in 1902, 15 years before women were allowed to vote in provincial elections. Her name was placed on the ballot even though it was uncertain at that time whether a woman was legally entitled to be a member of the Ontario Legislative Assembly (the first two female MPPs, Agnes McPhail and Rae Luckock, would not be elected until 1943). In 1902, the only elected office women could hope to win in Ontario was school trustee (Toronto voted in its first three female trustees in 1892), and even then only single women and widows qualified.