Leslyn Lewis is the first Conservative leadership candidate to get onto the final ballot
Leslyn #Leslyn
Leslyn Lewis is the first Conservative Party of Canada leadership candidate to officially make her way to the final ballot.
The MP for Haldimand-Norfolk, who is achieving this milestone before frontrunner and fellow MP Pierre Poilievre, tweeted the news on Monday afternoon. She included a picture of herself, as she has done every step along the way, with the mention “officially on the ballot.”
“A campaign is only as strong as its grassroots support,” wrote Lewis. “Our grassroots supporters have helped us be the first campaign to announce that we have submitted the full $300,000 to officially get on the ballot! Thank you!”
The National Post has independently confirmed that she is indeed the first campaign to have completed all the required steps set out by the party.
Candidates have until April 19 to enter the race and until April 29 to submit their nomination papers, 500 signatures from members of the party as well as a total of $300,000. That includes a leadership registration fee of $200,000 and a compliance deposit of $100,000.
Poilievre, former Quebec premier Jean Charest, Parry Sound-Muskoka MP Scott Aitchison and independent Ontario MPP Roman Baber have at least submitted $50,000 to the party to be deemed “approved” candidates. They are all listed on the party’s website as candidates.
Patrick Brown, mayor of Brampton, Ont., is still not on the list but his campaign said his approval as a candidate is expected to be “imminent.”
“Unlike other campaigns, we were waiting to gather all signatures before submitting our paperwork,” said Jeff Silverstein, Brown’s spokesperson. He added that membership sales have been “excellent” and that “other campaigns” have been unsuccessful in slowing them down.
Poilievre and Charest’s campaigns have indicated that they have raised large sums of money, but that some of the funds are used as the candidates are busy touring the country.
Poilievre was in Manitoba and Ontario in the past few days, and will be headed to British Columbia later this week. Charest is currently touring Nova Scotia before heading to Newfoundland and Labrador and then winding up in Ottawa near the end of the week.
Both campaigns told the National Post that they will be on the ballot come April 29.
Lewis, who surpassed expectations during the previous leadership race in 2020, is one to watch as she enters her second race. She is backed wholeheartedly by the social conservative wing of the party, which is extremely well-organized and capable of raising funds quickly.
Lewis spent the last few days making stops in Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. On Tuesday, she’ll be in Alberta.
Aitchison and Baber are hoping they will make it to the final ballot. They have said, respectively, that they are “looking forward to the next steps ahead” and that they are “optimistic” that they will have completed all the requirements by the end of the month.
About half a dozen more candidates have indicated interest in running to become the next Conservative leader, but they have not met the first threshold set by the party.