OTTAWA — Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is facing backlash from within his own party following his decision to appoint Kevin Davis as the Conservative candidate for the upcoming byelection in Brantford-Brant South, rather than conducting a nomination contest. This announcement was made during a rally on Sunday, leading to the abrupt departure of two former MPs from the event stage.
The Brantford-Brant South seat became vacant on Friday, September 18, 2026, when Larry Brock stepped down to resume his previous role as a Crown prosecutor. In a social media video posted the next day, Brock expressed his support for local pastor Dave Carrol as a suitable candidate to replace him. Brock commended Carrol for his contributions to securing Conservative victories in the region during previous elections in 2021 and 2025.
However, Poilievre surprised many, including Carrol, by announcing at the rally that Kevin Davis, the outgoing mayor of Brantford, would be the party's nominee. “We need someone who can fight for Brantford-Brant South the way that Larry Brock has for the last five years,” Poilievre stated. He added that Davis is committed to fighting for Canada and addressing key issues such as inflation, job security, and immigration.
After the announcement, Brock left his seat in the audience but did not exit the event entirely, according to fellow MP Ned Kuruc. Former Conservative MP Phil McColeman, who represented the riding for 13 years, also expressed disappointment over the lack of an open nomination process and vocally criticized the decision.
A byelection for the Brantford-Brant South seat has yet to be officially called, but it must be scheduled within six months of the vacancy. A spokesperson for the Conservative party indicated that Poilievre’s decision to appoint Davis was made to ensure a candidate was in place and ready to campaign immediately.
The spokesperson mentioned that Davis received “overwhelming endorsement” from local grassroots Conservatives at the rally, including backing from the riding association president and key local figures. However, Davis did not provide any comments following the announcement.
Carrol, who had been actively working for six weeks to secure the nomination and had the support of Brock and McColeman, expressed his disappointment over the situation. “I wish Kevin Davis well, but I would be less than honest if I said I wasn’t deeply disappointed,” he posted on social media, emphasizing the importance of an open nomination process to validate candidates' support among party members and the community.
Under current party rules, Poilievre holds the authority to appoint candidates in up to eight ridings between elections. This policy was established by the party's national council as part of a review following issues encountered during the April 2025 election. Critics have voiced concerns regarding the increased centralization of candidate selection, which some perceive as undermining local riding associations.
Noteworthy is the case of former B.C. provincial minister Michael de Jong, who sought to run for the Conservatives in Abbotsford-South Langley. Despite securing a recommendation from the local riding association, he was informed that he was not qualified to enter the nomination, highlighting similar frustrations among potential candidates regarding the nomination process in the Conservative party.
Additional criticisms were raised after former Conservative MP Dave MacKenzie publicly supported a Liberal candidate in a byelection in his former seat of Oxford, citing dissatisfaction with the party's nominee selection process. The situation has prompted calls for a return of control over nominations to grassroots members, a change supported by delegates at the Conservative national convention held in January 2026, where members voted to limit the national candidate selection committee's ability to override local decisions.
At the convention, Poilievre acknowledged the lessons learned from their prior election loss, asserting the necessity of conducting open nominations in local ridings moving forward and promoting riding associations as the backbone of the party's organization.
