The Conservative Party of Canada has announced that Pierre Poilievre will not be seeking election in the Battle River-Crowfoot riding in the upcoming federal election. Poilievre, the party leader, was defeated in the recent federal election in April by Liberal candidate Bruce Fanjoy in the Carleton riding in Ontario.
In a statement on Tuesday, the CPC confirmed that Damien Kurek, the former representative of the Battle River-Crowfoot riding, will be running in the upcoming election. Kurek had vacated his seat last year to allow Poilievre to run in a byelection.
When questioned by Radio-Canada about Poilievre’s potential riding for the next election, the CPC did not provide any response. The party also informed via email that Kurek’s nomination is secure, as the CPC’s National Council has approved a motion exempting him from the formal nomination process.
Battle River-Crowfoot has a history of being a conservative stronghold and encompasses municipalities such as Camrose, Drumheller, and Wainwright. Poilievre had won decisively in a previous byelection, securing over 80 percent of the vote. Notably, the last byelection featured a record-breaking 214 candidates, making it the largest number of candidates on a federal ballot in Canadian history.