The by-election call follows the general election that saw Pierre Poilievre lose the Ottawa-area riding he held for over 20 yearsSean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s bid to return to the House of Commons as an MP began in earnest Monday as Prime Minister Mark Carney set the date for a by-election in the Alberta riding of Battle River–Crowfoot.
Voters in the riding, which is in eastern Alberta abutting the border with Saskatchewan, will select a new member of Parliament on Aug. 18.
The by-election takes place just 16 weeks after the April general election ended with Mr. Poilievre losing the Ottawa-area riding he had held for more than 20 years.
His party also failed to form government for the fourth time in a row.
Subsequently, Damien Kurek, who has held the Alberta seat for the Tories since 2019, announced he’d resign to give Mr. Poilievre a spot to run.
Mr. Kurek had won Battle River–Crowfoot – long held by conservatives – in April with nearly 83 per cent of the vote.
In a statement Monday, Mr. Poilievre said it would be an honour to represent the riding and fight for “oil and gas, low taxes, free enterprise, a strong defence and respect for the West.”
Opinion: Can Pierre Poilievre outrun the ‘yesterday’s man’ label?
Mr. Poilievre said the riding’s residents feed, power and protect Canada.
“I will work hard and with humility to earn the support of the amazing people in this extraordinary region.”
The Liberals received nearly 12 per cent of the vote in the riding in April, finishing second. The party announced Monday that its candidate this time is Darcy Spady, who grew up in the riding and has had a long career in the energy sector, with a current focus on emission reduction.
“I know the hard work and values that define our communities and I’m ready to be a strong voice for people across Battle River-Crowfoot as your next member of Parliament,” said Mr. Spady in a statement. “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.”
The NDP have yet to announce a candidate. Jonathan Bridges will run for the People’s Party of Canada, and party leader Maxime Bernier is expected to join him on Tuesday to campaign.
Candidates affiliated with the Longest Ballot Committee, a group that advocates for electoral reform, are also expected to join the race.
More than 200 people have now signed up to run in the Battle River-Crowfoot vote, the committee’s Tomas Szuchewycz told The Globe and Mail in an e-mail.
The group was also responsible for adding 85 of the 91 names on the ballot in Mr. Poilievre’s previous Carleton riding in the last election, though none received more than 57 votes. Mr. Poilievre lost to Liberal Bruce Fanjoy by 4,315 votes.