This Rookie Politician Just Ousted Canada’s Conservative Leader From Parliament

OTTAWA — Bruce Fanjoy has the ultimate underdog story in Canadian politics.

He’s a stay-at-home dad who decided to run as a Liberal in the conservative stronghold of Carleton, an electoral district just outside of Ottawa made up of farmers and suburbanites.

Oh, and his opponent was the leader of the Conservative Party, Pierre Poilievre, who had held the seat for over 20 years, and was running to become prime minister of Canada.

Then Fanjoy began door knocking, starting in 2023, and wearing through two pairs of his sneakers and a pair of boots. People told him he was never going to win, and it was a lost cause. But Fanjoy knew better — especially after Donald Trump started ramping up his threats against Canada.

“There was a sea change in what I was hearing at the doors,” Fanjoy said in an interview with POLITICO Magazine.

On election night in Canada, Poilievre didn’t just lose his bid for prime minister — the party’s 25-point lead evaporating in the blink of an eye — he lost his seat in Parliament.

It was a stunning upset, with Fanjoy winning by over 4,300 votes, which helped form the Liberal Party’s minority government and left the Conservative Party of Canada scrambling over who will lead them.

“If there was one surprise that I had in this campaign in Carleton, it’s that Pierre barely showed up,” Fanjoy said. “After all his time as MP, he took the riding for granted, and nobody likes to be taken for granted.”

This conversation has been edited for length and clarity. 

A lot of people were very skeptical you could win. Why do you think you had a chance?

We ran a positive campaign, in remarkable contrast to Pierre's style of politics. We attracted a small army of volunteers. As this campaign carried on, more and more and more people believed in what we were doing and that was shown on election night. But we knew it was there for a long time, and it was still very, very gratifying to see it come together.

So, how did you beat him? 

We outworked him. We were present. We were all over the riding. We were connecting with voters. People appreciated the fact that we were present and that we offered a positive alternative to Pierre.

If there was one surprise that I had in this campaign in Carleton, it’s that Pierre barely showed up. After all his time as MP, he took the riding for granted, and nobody likes to be taken for granted.

The last time we talked, you compared your mission to defeat Pierre Poilievre as an opportunity for Canadians to take down their version of Donald Trump. Do you feel like you saved the country from “Maple MAGA”?

I wouldn't go that far. I know that what we did was very important to Canadians, and that's why, not only in Carleton, but the whole country was behind what we were doing.

Across Canada, people see that Pierre is too far right, and that made people very uncomfortable, including people who have traditionally voted conservative in this riding.

This became a referendum on Pierre Poilievre. The result is very clear that Canadians want responsible leadership. They want serious leadership. And this is no time to be flirting with the kind of politics that we’re seeing down to the south.

You previously said you went door-knocking five days a week. What were you hearing on those doorsteps?

There was a sea change in what I was hearing at the doors when we moved into 2025. Canadians recognized we were facing another U.S. administration led by Donald Trump and some of his hostile rhetoric toward Canada, our economy and our political sovereignty. And under the change in leadership of the Liberal Party in Mark Carney, we couldn’t have anyone better to meet this critical moment in our history. People in Carleton could see that. Carleton was ready to move on from Pierre Poilievre. They’re very familiar with his style of politics, and quite frankly, a lot of people had enough of it.

What came to mind when you learned you were about to win?

I was just enormously happy for all the volunteers that have worked so hard and poured their heart and soul into this campaign. It was humbling to see hundreds upon hundreds of people arrive at a campaign office wanting to help. The volunteers are the story of this campaign. We had people who were stepping up for the first time in their lives to get active in a campaign. In some cases, people came considerable distances because they saw this as the most important election of our lifetimes. And they recognized that Carleton played a super-sized role in what direction this country was heading.

Has Pierre Poilievre called to congratulate you?

I haven't heard from him. I don't know that he will. That’s up to him.

What would you say to him if you did talk?

I would say thank you for your call. To be quite honest, I don't know what I would say to him, it would probably depend a great deal on what he said to me.

People run against each other in politics, this is nothing new, and this is a time where we just have to come together as Canadians, and that includes Canadian parliamentarians. The times are too important for people who are putting their party ahead of their country. This is not a time for that nonsense.

Has Mark Carney personally reached out since you won?

We are going to be talking very soon. He’s been very busy, and I don’t expect he got much rest the other night, but I’ll be talking to him.

How do you expect the Liberals will govern as they face down Donald Trump?

They will govern with principle. They will govern in the best interests of Canadians.

This Liberal government is filled with people who are committed to their communities and committed to this country. We'll come together. We'll work with other parliamentarians. But Mark Carney is a recognized economic leader, and we're going to do what’s necessary to support Canadians, Canadian industry, Canadian workers and families to weather this storm.

You’re a first-time politician. Are you worried about what politics could do to you or change in you?

No, I know who I am and I’m going to be true to my values. I always will. I grew up playing competitive sports, I had a career in the private sector, so I understand what it's like to compete. I know that there will be challenging moments, but that's because we have big issues to deal with. My focus is on getting to work.