Pierre Poilievre Seeks Return to Parliament in Battle River–Crowfoot By-Election

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is making another push to re-enter the House of Commons, with Prime Minister Mark Carney setting August 18 as the date for a by-election in the Alberta riding of Battle River–Crowfoot. This development comes just 16 weeks after Poilievre’s defeat in his long-held Ottawa-area riding during the April general election, an election that also saw his party fail to form government for the fourth consecutive time.
The opportunity for Poilievre arises following the resignation of Damien Kurek, who has represented Battle River–Crowfoot for the Tories since 2019. Kurek secured a commanding victory in April, capturing nearly 83 percent of the vote in the historically conservative riding.
In a statement released Monday, Poilievre expressed his honor at the prospect of representing the riding, vowing to champion “oil and gas, low taxes, free enterprise, a strong defence and respect for the West.” He emphasized his commitment to working “hard and with humility to earn the support of the amazing people in this extraordinary region,” recognizing the residents as integral to feeding, powering, and protecting Canada.
The Liberal Party, which came in second in the April election with nearly 12 percent of the vote, has announced Darcy Spady as their candidate. Spady, a native of the riding with extensive experience in the energy sector and a current focus on emission reduction, stated his readiness to be a “strong voice for people across Battle River-Crowfoot.” He added, “It’s time to build, to be bold and ambitious, and I’ve seen firsthand how our region can lead the way. That’s why I’m running to fight for your priorities and build a stronger Alberta and Canada.”
While the NDP has yet to declare a candidate, Jonathan Bridges will run for the People’s Party of Canada, with party leader Maxime Bernier expected to join him on the campaign trail Tuesday. The by-election is also anticipated to attract candidates affiliated with the Longest Ballot Committee, an electoral reform advocacy group. Tomas Szuchewycz of the committee informed The Globe and Mail via e-mail that over 200 individuals have already signed up to run in Battle River–Crowfoot. This group was notably responsible for adding 85 of the 91 names to the ballot in Poilievre’s previous Carleton riding during the last election, although none of those candidates garnered more than 57 votes. Poilievre ultimately lost that race to Liberal Bruce Fanjoy by 4,315 votes.