Former B.C. Premier Christy Clark says she's not running in federal election
Clark also exited race to replace Justin Trudeau in January
Former B.C. Premier Christy Clark says she's not running in the upcoming federal election for the Liberal Party.
In a social media post Monday, Clark said she received "lots of encouragement and good wishes from Liberals and many other friends from across the country," noting that Canada is facing a "critical moment."
She did not give a reason in her social media post about why she's not running as a candidate.
Clark was premier from 2011-2017 and leader of the B.C. Liberal Party, which was never affiliated with the federal Liberals.
She expressed interest in replacing former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in the federal Liberal leadership race, but bowed out days after she had to walk back a claim that she was never a member of the Conservative Party.
I’ve received lots of encouragement and good wishes from Liberals and many other friends from across the country. Many thanks to all of you, but I won’t be running as a candidate in this election. Good luck to all those who are running for office. Thank you for stepping up for…
—@christyclarkbcIn January, Clark told supporters she made the "difficult decision" to step back because there wasn't enough time to mount a successful leadership campaign. Clark also said while she had been working on her French, "it's not where it needs to be" for her to connect with Francophone Canadians.
In a January interview, Clark told CBC Radio's The House she was "seriously thinking about" running to replace Trudeau. She also denied ever being a member of the Conservative Party.
Clark publicly endorsed Jean Charest in the Conservative leadership race in 2022, and said she intended to join the party to vote for her preferred candidate.
"I never got a membership and I never got a ballot," Clark told host Catherine Cullen.
A spokesperson for the Conservative Party refuted Clark's claims and provided a screenshot of their records.
"Well, I misspoke. Sh*t happens. Lesson learned," the former premier later posted on social media.
The federal election campaign kicked off Sunday, with leaders of all political parties positioning themselves as best to strengthen Canada's economy and stand up to U.S. President Donald Trump.
Trump's trade war and his taunting of Canadian sovereignty are expected to dominate the race. Canadians will head to the polls on April 28.
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With files from Catharine Tunney