Pierre Poilievre loses Carleton riding he’s held for 20 years

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre lost his riding of Carleton to Liberal candidate Bruce Fanjoy, a seat he's held since being elected in 2004.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is projected to lose his Ottawa riding of Carleton, after facing stiff competition for a seat had had held for 20 years.

Poilievre was ultimately ousted during Monday’s federal election by Liberal candidate Bruce Fanjoy, who coalesced opposition votes at the expense of the NDP and nearly 90 other candidates who also sought to challenge the Conservative leader.

Prime Minister Mark Carney, whose Liberals are projected to form government, joked during his victory speech in Ottawa Monday night that Fanjoy “will be a great MP” as early results showed Fanjoy ahead throughout the evening.

“I look forward to working with Bruce Fanjoy,” he said with a smile.

Poilievre lost despite his Conservatives gaining ridings from both the Liberals and the NDP to form the largest official opposition in Canadian history.

His loss means the Conservatives, at least temporarily, will be without a party leader in the House of Commons.

“It will be an honour to continue to fight for you and be a champion for your cause as we go forward,” Poilievre told a cheering crowd at Conservative campaign headquarters in Ottawa before his riding was called.

The result is a shocking turn of events for Poilievre, who decisively won the Conservative leadership in 2022 and led the party to a double-digit polling lead over the Liberals.