Portage—Lisgar

Portage—Lisgar is a federal electoral district in southern Manitoba, covering a vast rural expanse of the province's agricultural heartland. The by-election of June 19, 2023 was triggered by the resignation of Conservative MP Candice Bergen, who had served as interim leader of the Conservative Party and represented the riding since 2008. Bergen announced her immediate resignation on February 1, 2023, with the seat officially vacated on February 28, 2023.

Candidates

Branden Leslie (Conservative) — Leslie was born and raised on a farm south of Portage la Prairie and is a graduate of Brandon University and Carleton University with a degree in political science. He worked as a policy and government relations manager with Grain Growers of Canada, an agricultural advocacy organization, and previously served as campaign manager for outgoing MP Candice Bergen.

Max Bernier (People's Party) — Bernier is the leader and founder of the People's Party of Canada and a former Conservative cabinet minister. He served as Minister of Industry, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Minister of State for Small Business and Tourism under Prime Minister Stephen Harper. He represented the Quebec riding of Beauce from 2006 to 2019 before founding the PPC in 2018.

Kerry Smith (Liberal) — Smith ran as the Liberal candidate in the by-election.

Lisa Tessier-Burch (NDP) — Tessier-Burch ran as the NDP candidate in the by-election.

Nicolas Geddert (Green Party) — Geddert ran as the Green Party candidate.

About the Riding

Portage—Lisgar stretches across central and southern Manitoba, bordered by the United States to the south and Lake Manitoba to the north. The riding includes the cities of Portage la Prairie (population approximately 13,000), Winkler (approximately 14,000), and Morden (approximately 10,000), as well as the towns of Carman, Morris, and Altona. It also includes Long Plain First Nation and Swan Lake First Nation.

The riding's population was approximately 94,800 in 2021. It has a distinctive ethno-linguistic profile: the area around Winkler and the southern portion of the riding is home to one of Canada's largest Mennonite populations, and the riding had the highest percentage of native German and Plautdietsch (Low German) speakers in the country according to census data. Approximately 12 percent of residents speak German or Low German as a mother tongue.

The economy is overwhelmingly agricultural, dominated by grain production, livestock operations, and food processing. Major employers include McCain Foods and Simplot potato processing facilities, the HyLife pork processing plant in Neepawa (nearby), and numerous agribusiness operations. Portage la Prairie also hosts a Canadian Forces Base. The riding is one of the most conservative in Canada, having elected Progressive Conservative, Reform, Canadian Alliance, or Conservative members of Parliament in its predecessor ridings continuously since 1968.