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 seat in the Ontario riding of Carleton to Liberal candidate Bruce Fanjoy in the April federal election.
On Tuesday, the CPC confirmed that Damien Kurek, who previously held the Battle River-Crowfoot seat, will be the candidate for the riding in the next election. Kurek had vacated his seat last year to allow Poilievre to run there in a byelection.
When queried by Radio-Canada about Poilievre’s potential riding for the next election, the CPC did not provide any answers. Additionally, the party revealed via email that Kurek’s nomination is assured, as the CPC’s National Council passed a motion exempting him from the formal nomination process.
Battle River-Crowfoot has traditionally been a conservative stronghold, encompassing municipalities such as Camrose, Drumheller, and Wainwright. Poilievre secured a resounding victory in a previous byelection, garnering just over 80% of the vote. The byelection held last year had a record 214 candidates, marking the highest number of candidates on a federal ballot in Canadian history.