Canadian Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre lost his seat in parliament, in addition to losing his bid to become prime minister, after a brutal showing for party leaders in Monday’s election.
Poilievre lost his seat in Ontario’s Carleton riding to Liberal candidate Bruce Fanjoy after having held the district since 2004. Fanjoy won 50.6% of the vote compared to Poilievre’s 46.1%. Momentum for the Conservative Party to retake the majority faded as U.S. President Donald Trump antagonized Canada and imposed tariffs on the country.
The Liberal Party will remain in power in Canada, though likely not with a majority. Prime Minister Mark Carney won the seat in Ontario’s Nepean riding, but the party will likely fall a few seats short of the 172 needed to form a majority. The Liberals have been in control of parliament since 2015, though they’ve had to form coalitions and minority governments since then.
The Conservative leader conceded national defeat to supporters on election night before his riding was called.
“We know that change is needed, but change is hard to come by. It takes time. It takes work. And that’s why we have to learn the lessons of tonight — so that we can have an even better result the next time Canadians decide the future of the country.”
In that speech, he promised to remain leader.
“It will be an honor to continue to fight for you and be a champion for your cause as we go forward,” Poilievre said early Tuesday morning. It’s unclear if he’ll maintain that goal now that he has lost his seat in the House of Commons.
Poilievre faced opposition from the Longest Ballot Committee, which worked to register dozens of candidates to run in his riding. On Election Day, Carleton voters chose between 90 candidates, which could’ve contributed to his struggles.
Other party leaders who lost their seats Monday included New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh and Green Party co-leader Jonathan Pedneault. For Singh, the loss comes with a disastrous result for the party, which will likely see it lose its official party status as it appears it will fall short of the 12-seat minimum. Singh called the losses “disappointing” but said he is not disappointed “in our movement.”
Singh has led the party since 2017, before he won the seat in British Columbia’s Burnaby Central riding in 2019. The electoral district, formerly called Burnaby South, was redistributed ahead of the 2025 election. It was an NDP stronghold for 25 years.
LIBERAL PARTY WINS CANADIAN ELECTION, BUT CHANCES OF MAJORITY GOVERNMENT FADE
“It’s been the honor of my life to represent the people of Burnaby Central. Tonight they chose a new member of parliament, and tonight I wish them well as they continue to work hard for this community,” Singh said.
The Conservative Party and Liberal Party are expected to gain seats overall, as the smaller parties lose several seats in parliament.