During the 2025 federal election, in which the Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) suffered defeat, party leader Pierre Poilievre lost representation in the House of Commons as a result of losing his Carleton riding. The leader of the Conservative Party lost by a total of 4,513 votes, a staggering defeat after holding that seat for over 20 years. MP Damien Kurek of Battle River – Crowfoot resigned his seat soon after to trigger a by-election, creating a pathway for Pierre Poilievre to re-enter the House of Commons.
This move sparked political outrage from many in the riding, some who subsequently registered as candidates to protest the current electoral system. Many constituents in the area voiced concern over losing local MP Damien Kurek who was deeply integrated within the riding. Some also viewed this move simply as a means to an end for Pierre Poilievre to return to the House of Commons. The riding currently stands as one of the safest Conservative ridings in the country, where MP Damien Kurek recently won 82.8% of the vote.
There were 214 candidates that ran in the by-election, many of whom ran under the Longest Ballot Committee, a protest group advocating for electoral reform. The unprecedented number of candidates resulted in a change in the voting process. Elections Canada introduced a write-in ballot system – one where voters were required to write the name of their chosen candidate, as opposed to the traditional method of marking a circle next to the name of the candidate you wish to vote for.
Constituents of Battle River–Crowfoot have expressed a broad spectrum of rural-focused concerns, from everyday affordability and agricultural freedom to fair representation and energy security. Some constituents expressed dissatisfaction with the political theatre and such an immediate by-election, and there’s an evident desire for an MP who is rooted in the community. Though many also appear excited about the prospect of a candidate with an elevated national profile, who can spotlight local issues at the federal level.
The stakes were high for Pierre Poilievre as the election presented as a crucial opportunity to establish his presence in the House of Commons. Without a parliamentary seat, he was unable to maximize his effectiveness as leader of the CPC. Poilievre also faces a mandatory leadership review in January, following the party’s failure to form government in the last federal election. A decisive victory in Battle River-Crowfoot was essential in his quest to remain CPC leader.
Preliminary election results are as follows:
- Pierre Poilievre – Conservative Party – 40,548 votes – 80.4%
- Bonnie Critchley – Independent – 5,013 votes – 9.9%
- Darcy Spady – Liberal Party – 2,174 votes – 4.3 %
- Katherine Swampy – NDP – 1050 votes – 2.1 %
- Each of the other 210 candidates garnered less than 2% of the vote share
With a decisive 80.4% of the vote, Poilievre returns to the House of Commons and reignites himself as official leader of the Conservative Party. Though it fell just short of the 82.8% achieved by his predecessor, Damien Kurek, the result provides Poilievre some much needed credibility to his position as leader. Attention now turns to the CPC national convention in January to await the results of the leadership review.
Emmanuel Okusanya, Intern