A by-election has been called in the federal riding of Battle River—Crowfoot for August 18, 2025, following the resignation of Conservative MP Damien Kurek. Kurek, who secured re-election with over 80% of the vote in the 2025 federal election on April 28, resigned his seat on June 17 to allow Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre an opportunity to return to Parliament.
The writ for the by-election was drawn up on June 30, 2025 with the date of the vote set for August 18 in order to avoid a conflict with Alberta Heritage Day earlier in the month.
Background.
On May 2, Prime Minister Mark Carney affirmed his commitment to promptly ask Governor General Mary Simon to issue a writ for the by-election when requested, stating, “If it’s the decision of him and the Conservative Party to trigger…a by-election, I will ensure that it happens as soon as possible.” Kurek announced his resignation later that day. Kurek said in a statement his resignation is what’s best for the party and his constituents. Kurek said he intends to run again in the riding in the next general election.
Timing.
Kurek announced his intention to resign on May 2, days after the April 28 general election, and Prime Minister Carney promised to call a by-election as soon as possible. By law, Kurek's resignation could not be officially tendered until 30 days after the publication of the election result in the "Canada Gazette", which occurred on May 15, 2025. Kurek officially resigned on Tuesday, June 17, 2025. The governor general, who could issue a writ of election no sooner than 11 days after notice is given of a vacancy, dropped the writ on Monday, June 30, 2025 for a by-election to be held on Monday, August 18, 2025.
Declared candidates.
Pierre Poilievre.
Poilievre was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta, and moved to Ottawa in 2000 to work for Canadian Alliance leader Stockwell Day. He was first elected in the 2004 federal election, initially representing the riding of Nepean—Carleton before it was redistributed as Carleton. In 2008, Poilievre graduated with a bachelor's degree in international relations from the University of Calgary. Poilievre ran in the 2022 Conservative Party leadership election, winning on the first ballot to become the leader of the Conservative Party. He also served as Leader of the Official Opposition from 2022 to 2025. In the 2025 Canadian federal election, Poilievre lost his seat of Carleton to Liberal candidate Bruce Fanjoy.
Darcy Spady.
Spady, a petroleum engineer and energy industry advisor from Alberta, was named as the candidate for the Liberal Party of Canada for the byelection on June 30. Previously, he was international president of the Society of Petroleum Engineers from 2018 to 2021.
Jonathan Bridges.
Bridges has lived in the Battle River—Crowfoot area for 15 years and is running as the candidate for the People's Party of Canada. In the 2021 Canadian federal election, Bridges ran as the People's Party candidate in Bow River and finished second, receiving 5108 votes (10%). In the 2025 Canadian federal election, Bridges ran as the People's Party candidate in Battle River—Crowfoot and finished fourth, receiving 1022 votes (1.5%).
Bonnie Critchley.
Critchley, born in Kelowna and raised in Calgary, is an independent candidate and military veteran, having served at CFB Wainwright for "a large chunk" of her 22 years of service. She achieved the rank of master corporal in the King's Own Calgary Regiment of the Canadian Army, after deploying to Afghanistan in 2011. She describes herself as a "centrist independent". She is a recipient of the General Campaign Star (South-West Asia) and the Canadian Forces' Decoration.
Sarah Spanier.
Spanier is running as an independent. She was born in Calgary and has a diploma in Justice Studies from Bow Valley College and a degree in English. She has worked in childcare, security, and social services, with a focus on supporting vulnerable populations.
Longest Ballot Committee.
The Longest Ballot Committee announced in May that they were targeting the by-election as part of its campaign protesting the first-past-the-post system and would aim to have as many as 200 candidates placed on the ballot. The committee previously targeted Poilievre's former electoral district of Carleton in the 2025 general election and claimed responsibility for adding 85 names to the ballot in that vote.