OTTAWA — The federal Conservative party is being criticized over its decision to appoint a candidate for an upcoming byelection, instead of holding a nomination contest.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre surprised many when he announced at a rally on Sunday that Brantford Mayor Kevin Davis will be the party’s candidate in Brantford-Brant South.
The seat is vacant now that Larry Brock has returned to his job as a Crown prosecutor, but a byelection hasn’t been called yet.
Brock had endorsed Dave Carrol, a local pastor who had hoped to run in a nomination race that he learned on the weekend will not happen.
Carrol says he’s “deeply disappointed” by the decision and adds he also had the endorsement of former MP Phil McColeman.
In a statement, the Conservative party says it wanted to ensure a candidate was ready to hit the ground running and that Davis was “overwhelmingly endorsed” by people who attended Poilievre’s rally on Sunday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 21, 2026.
Sarah Ritchie, The Canadian Press
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