The Conservative Party has confirmed former MP Damien Kurek as its candidate in Battle River–Crowfoot for the next federal election, a move that also signals leader Pierre Poilievre does not plan to defend the Alberta seat he won in a 2025 by-election.
The decision was made by the party’s national council, which passed a motion confirming Kurek as the riding’s candidate and waiving a local nomination contest.
Poilievre entered Parliament through the rural Alberta riding after losing his longtime Ontario seat of Carleton in the April 28, 2025 general election. Kurek resigned his seat to allow Poilievre to run in the by-election, which Poilievre won on Aug. 18, 2025 with 80.4% of the vote.
Opposition leaders seeking a quick route back into the House of Commons after losing their seat is not unprecedented in Canadian politics. Party leaders have previously relied on safe seats to return to Parliament, often with the understanding that the arrangement is temporary.
Still, Poilievre’s decision not to run again in Battle River–Crowfoot has drawn scrutiny because the by-election campaign was closely tied to his effort to return to the Commons after the general election defeat.
During the campaign, Poilievre addressed concerns about whether a party leader can effectively represent a local riding, arguing that the position can amplify local issues even while national duties require frequent travel.
The Conservative Party has not publicly said which riding Poilievre intends to contest next.
Battle River–Crowfoot is considered one of the Conservatives’ safest seats, and Poilievre’s by-election victory was decisive. The contest attracted national attention in part because of an unusually high number of candidates, a result of an electoral protest effort that led Elections Canada to use write-in ballots.
Kurek, who represented the riding before stepping aside, has previously indicated he intended to seek the seat again in the next general election. The national council’s motion formalizes his return as the party’s candidate.
Reaction on social media has been mixed. Some commenters criticized Poilievre’s apparent plan to leave the riding after a high-profile campaign, while others defended the move as a common and practical political strategy.
Canada’s next federal election is legally due no later than October 2029 under the fixed-date election law, though a vote could be called earlier if Parliament falls. With a minority government in place, speculation continues about whether Canadians could be heading to the polls as early as 2026.
For Conservatives, the nomination decision secures a familiar candidate in a reliable seat, while leaving open a broader political question: where Poilievre will seek a long-term mandate of his own ahead of the next national campaign.