Christy Clark has announced that she will not be running in the upcoming election.
The former British Columbia premier had not too long ago considered taking on Mark Carney to lead the Liberal Party herself.
"I've received lots of encouragement and good wishes from Liberals and many other friends from across the country," Clark wrote in a post on X. "Many thanks to all of you, but I won't be running as a candidate in this election. Good luck to all those who are running for office. Thank you for stepping up for Canada at a critical moment for us all."
"I indicated a strong willingness to run," she added in an email to supporters. "I wanted to take on the Conservatives and deliver a riding for our party that we don't currently hold. The Party has moved in a different direction. That's politics."
She had been eyeing South Surrey-White Rock, however the Liberals have announced that Ernie Klassen will be their candidate there.
In January, Clark opted not to run to become Liberal leader, arguing that her French was "not where it needs to be" to connect with Francophone voters. Just days earlier, however it was revealed that she had been a member of the Conservative Party in 2022, despite proudly calling herself a "lifelong Liberal."
During an interview with the CBC, Clark was pressed on the fact that she had voted for Jean Charest in the last Conservative leadership race. Only party members can vote in leadership elections. When asked how long she had been a member of the Conservative Party, Clark said "never," and claimed she "didn't" vote in the race.
"I never got a membership, and I never got a ballot," she said, before being cut off by host Catherine Cullen, who informed her that the party itself confirmed that her membership had been cancelled at some point. Clark went on to suggest the Conservatives might "manufacture" a membership and claim it was hers.
The CBC went on to show footage of Clark in 2022 where Clark told a reporter why she had joined the Conservatives and supported Charest.
"I'm joining the party so that I can support my friend Mr. Charest and what I think he can bring to the national dialogue," she said. "There's only one leader who's running for office right now who is going to be able to unite the country, who's gonna bring a moderation, a willingness to talk to the people with whom he disagrees."
