Branden Leslie wins Conservative nomination for Portage-Lisgar

The riding of Portage-Lisgar has its Conservative candidate for the upcoming byelection to replace Candice Bergen.

Branden Leslie, who previously served as Bergen’s campaign manager, was victorious in a nomination contest over the weekend. Leslie defeated former MLA Cameron Friesen in order to receive the nomination.

"I am excited to be your Conservative candidate for the upcoming byelection," Leslie said in a social media post.

According to his candidate website, Leslie was the campaign manager in 2019 for Candice Bergen, who has represented the riding since 2008. Bergen, who served as interim leader of the Conservative Party, announced in February that she was stepping down as MP. She is currently co-chair of the election campaign for Manitoba’s Progressive Conservative Party.

Leslie has also worked with the Grain Growers of Canada as the manager of policy and government relations.

Friesen, who represented Morden-Winkler as MLA, resigned from his position in January to seek the nomination.

Other candidates seeking the nomination included Lawrence Toet, the former MP for Elmwood-Transcona, along with Don Cruickshank.

On Twitter, Bergen congratulated Leslie, saying she believes he will represent the riding well.

Christopher Adams, an adjunct professor of political studies at the University of Manitoba, said the news is somewhat unexpected, given Friesen’s name recognition from his time in provincial politics.

”We in Winnipeg know Cameron Friesen very well from his reputation as a cabinet minister, but it was a surprise to see that he lost,” Adams said.

Adams said it is likely Leslie’s knowledge of the riding that helped him come away with the victory.

“When you’re up against a candidate who was a past campaign director for the riding, that campaign manager will understand the whole riding, will know all the members, will know where the support is, will know how to get those members out to vote,” he said.

During the campaign, Leslie campaigned against Friesen’s time as health minister during the COVID-19 pandemic, saying Friesen was involved in the lockdowns brought in by the province to slow the spread of the virus. Leslie has pledged that if he is elected to parliament, he will work to stop the government from imposing lockdowns on Canadians.

Adams said the lingering effects from the pandemic and public health orders may have played a factor in Leslie securing the nomination.

“I have a pretty good idea that there are strong sentiments within the Conservative Party during the past couple of years against the mask mandates and the vaccinations, and so (Friesen) would have had to wear some of that,” he said. “Remember, this federal riding has attracted a fair number of People's Party of Canada supporters. And so, I'm sure some of that reflects the mood of many people in the party.”

A byelection date for Bergen’s seat has not been announced.