The Conservative Party of Canada has officially announced that Pierre Poilievre will not be contesting the Battle River-Crowfoot riding in the upcoming federal election. Poilievre, the party leader, lost his longtime position in the Ontario riding of Carleton to Liberal candidate Bruce Fanjoy during the April federal election.
On Tuesday, the CPC confirmed that Damien Kurek, who previously held the Battle River-Crowfoot seat, would be running in the riding again in the next election. Kurek had relinquished his seat last year to allow Poilievre to run there in a byelection. When Radio-Canada inquired about Poilievre’s potential riding in the next election, the CPC did not provide any answers.
The party also disclosed via email that Kurek’s nomination is assured, as the CPC’s National Council passed a motion exempting him from a formal nomination process. Battle River-Crowfoot has a history of being a conservative stronghold and encompasses municipalities such as Camrose, Drumheller, and Wainwright. Poilievre secured a resounding victory in a byelection with just over 80% of the vote.
In the previous year’s byelection, there were a record-breaking 214 candidates, marking the highest number of candidates on a federal ballot in Canadian history.
