Bruce Fanjoy Stuns Pierre Poilievre in Carleton, Says Liberal Momentum Helped Power Upset

Ottawa, April 30, 2025 — In one of the most stunning upsets of Canada’s federal election, Liberal newcomer Bruce Fanjoy unseated long-time Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre in the Carleton riding, ending his two-decade run in the Ottawa-area seat. Fanjoy attributed the win to relentless ground-level campaigning and the renewed momentum under Prime Minister Mark Carney.

“With Mark Carney’s leadership, suddenly I had the wind at my back,” Fanjoy said in an interview with CTV’s Power Play. “Pierre, God bless him, he took the riding for granted. And people don’t like to be taken for granted.”

Fanjoy defeated Poilievre by approximately 4,300 votes, a remarkable outcome considering Poilievre had represented the area since 2004, winning seven consecutive elections. The Carleton riding, once considered a Conservative stronghold, saw the highest number of advanced voters in the country and ballots nearly one metre long due to an unprecedented 91 candidates listed.

A former private sector and community leader, Fanjoy said his campaign success came from sustained grassroots outreach. “We focused on the process all along—knocking on doors for over two years,” he said. “We did that day after day, believing that if we do things right, the numbers will take care of themselves.”

Fanjoy noted he hasn’t heard from Poilievre since the results came in but extended his best wishes to the former MP.

Poilievre, who had risen to national prominence as a fierce critic of Justin Trudeau and won the Conservative leadership in a landslide in 2022, had himself first won Carleton by defeating Liberal Defence Minister David Pratt in 2004. His loss is not only symbolic but a major blow to the Conservatives, who failed to unseat the Liberals in the wider election.

Despite the defeat, Poilievre has reportedly indicated he will stay on as Conservative leader as the party regroups following another federal loss.