Newly named Conservative Party of Canada leader Pierre Poilievre has the backing of local party members. Of the 3,053 in the Grande Prairie – Mackenzie riding who voted in the leadership race, 2,699 made him their first choice, or 88 per cent.
The candidate with the next highest support was well behind, with 226 picking Leslyn Lewis first. The result was similar in Peace River – Westlock, with Poilievre the first choice of 1,964 of 2,503 members or 78 per cent.
Poilievre received the backing of Grande Prairie – Mackenzie MP Chris Warkentin, who hosted him for an event in Grande Prairie that drew a crowd estimated at more than 1,000 in July.
Overall, Poilievre won 330 out of the 338 federal ridings in Canada, giving him a first-ballot victory with 68 per cent of the vote across the country.