The vote to find the next Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) candidate in Portage-Lisgar begins today and concludes tomorrow. Party members will be casting their ballots for one of four candidates (listed in alphabetical order);

Don Cruickshank
Cameron Friesen
Branden Leslie
Lawrence Toet

The voting, as well as speeches from the respective candidates, will be happening at locations in Portage today and in Winkler on Saturday. According to officials with the nominating committee, results will be announced after ballot counting is completed sometime Saturday afternoon.

The winner will represent the CPC in a still to be announced by-election for Portage-Lisgar. According to Elections Canada, a date for the by-election must be announced no later than August 27th, must be held on a Monday and be at least 36 days, but no more than 50 days, after the day the by-election is announced.

Former Conservative Portage-Lisgar MP Candice Bergen resigned her seat earlier this year, prompting the party to begin the process of finding its next candidate, as well as the need for a by-election in the riding. Bergen was first elected to Parliament in 2008 and served in a number of roles including interim leader and Deputy Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, as well as Leader of the Opposition. Prior to her seat resignation, Bergen announced in Fall 2022 she would not seek re-election in the next federal general election.

You can learn more about the candidates vying for the Conservative Party of Canada Portage-Lisgar nomination in our previous stories, below.

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