Poilievre eyes Alberta for his electoral comeback, sitting Battle River-Crowfoot MP to quit

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is preparing for a political comeback from Alberta’s Battle River-Crowfoot riding, after an unexpected loss in his long held Carleton seat during the 2025 federal elections of Canada. Poilievre was stunned in his seat by a Liberal newbie, Bruce Fanjoy.

However, his path back to Parliament may be complicated by the Longest Ballot Committee, an activist group known for flooding ballots with numerous candidates to protest Canada's first-past-the-post electoral system.

In Carleton, the Committee added 85 of the 91 candidates to the ballot, resulting in a nearly one-meter-long document that required special handling and delayed vote counting. Despite none of these candidates securing more than 57 votes, their presence contributed to the logistical challenges of the election.


"He took the riding for granted," Fanjoy said after winning.

The Longest Ballot Committee has indicated plans to replicate their Carleton strategy in the upcoming byelection, contingent on at least 200 individuals signing up by May 12.

To ensure Poilievre's return to the House of Commons, Damien Kurek, the incumbent MP for Battle River-Crowfoot, has announced his intention to resign. Kurek, who secured over 80% of the vote in the recent election, expressed pride in stepping aside for the party leader.

"It's admirable," said Heather Colberg, mayor of Drumheller.

The byelection in Battle River, Crowfoot can be called as soon as 11 days after Kurek's official resignation and will run between 36 and 50 days. Until then, Poilievre remains without a seat in the House of Commons, unable to serve as Leader of the Opposition.