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. Following his defeat by Liberal candidate Bruce Fanjoy in the Carleton riding during April’s federal election, Poilievre will not be seeking candidacy in Battle River-Crowfoot.
Damien Kurek, the former holder of the Battle River-Crowfoot seat, will be running in the riding again for the upcoming election. Kurek had vacated his seat last year to allow Poilievre to run in a byelection.
When asked by Radio-Canada about Poilievre’s potential riding for the next election, the CPC did not provide any answers. The party has confirmed that Kurek’s nomination is assured, with the CPC’s National Council passing a motion to exempt him from the formal nomination process.
Battle River-Crowfoot has historically been a stronghold for the conservatives and includes municipalities like Camrose, Drumheller, and Wainwright. Poilievre had previously won decisively in a byelection, securing over 80% of the vote. Notably, last year’s byelection boasted 214 candidates, marking the highest number of candidates on a federal ballot in Canadian history.