Photo: Pierre Poilievre and wife Anaida in Stettler during July 1 celebrations. Photo: Rural Alberta Report/C. Bowman

Pierre Poilievre has returned to the House of Commons with a decisive win in the Battle River–Crowfoot by-election, taking 80.4 per cent of the vote. Independent Bonnie Critchley finished second, followed by Liberal Darcy Spady and NDP candidate Katherine Swampy.

Poilievre's victory upholds the riding’s reputation as a Conservative stronghold and restores his parliamentary presence after his defeat in Carleton in April 2025. That loss had left him unable to fulfil his role as Leader of the Official Opposition—an outcome that triggered the orchestrated resignation of Battle River–Crowfoot MP Damien Kurek in June, paving the way for tonight’s contest.

The by-election itself was unlike any other, marked by a protest campaign from the Longest Ballot Committee. The group flooded the ballot with more than 200 independent candidates, prompting Elections Canada to implement a write-in format where voters handwritten the name of their chosen candidate and even minor spelling errors would be accepted.

With his commanding performance, Poilievre is poised to return to Parliament as soon as MPs reconvene this fall, fortifying his leadership and re-engaging more directly in federal politics.