Portage—Lisgar

Portage—Lisgar stretches across the heart of central and southern Manitoba, running from the U.S. border northward to Lake Manitoba. The riding covers more than 12,600 square kilometres and takes in the cities of Portage la Prairie, Winkler, and Morden, as well as the towns of Carman, Morris, and Altona. It is one of the most reliably Conservative ridings in Canada, and the 2025 contest saw incumbent Branden Leslie — first elected in a June 2023 byelection — win re-election with a commanding majority.

Candidates

Branden Leslie (Conservative) grew up on a farm near Portage la Prairie and built a career in agricultural policy, working as a policy and government relations manager with Grain Growers of Canada and serving as campaign manager for former MP Candice Bergen. He won the Conservative nomination in 2023, defeating longtime provincial politician Cameron Friesen, and took the seat in the June 2023 byelection with nearly 65 percent of the vote. Leslie has focused on advocacy for rural communities, farmers, firearms owners, and small businesses.

Robert Kreis (Liberal) is a community leader who serves as chair of Forward House Ministries in Winnipeg. He ran on a platform of targeted trade retaliation against U.S. tariffs, climate dialogue with farmers, and economic diversification through remote work opportunities in the technology sector.

Lisa Tessier (NDP) is a French Immersion teacher at Portage Collegiate who has lived and worked in Portage la Prairie since 2008. She holds two Bachelor of Arts degrees and a Bachelor of Education from the University of Manitoba and has served on the Portage Teachers Association executive since 2018. She previously ran as the NDP candidate in the 2023 Portage—Lisgar byelection.

Kevin Larson (People's Party) ran as the People's Party candidate in the riding.

Janine G. Gibson (Green Party) ran as the Green Party candidate in the riding.

About the Riding

Portage—Lisgar's economy is overwhelmingly agricultural. The riding sits on some of Manitoba's most productive farmland, with grain, oilseed, potato, and livestock operations dominating the landscape. Portage la Prairie, with a population of roughly 13,000, serves as the riding's largest centre and a regional hub for agribusiness services, while the twin cities of Winkler and Morden in the Pembina Valley are among the fastest-growing communities in Manitoba, driven by food processing, manufacturing, and a strong Mennonite entrepreneurial tradition.

The riding's cultural character is shaped by its substantial Mennonite and Low German-speaking populations, particularly in the Pembina Valley. Altona, Winkler, and Morden all have deep Mennonite roots, and many of the region's manufacturing and food processing firms grew out of this community. The Pembina Valley's growth has outpaced much of rural Manitoba, creating demand for new housing, expanded healthcare services, and upgraded infrastructure.

The 2025 campaign focused on U.S. trade tariffs threatening agricultural exports, the cost of living, rural healthcare access, and the federal carbon price. As a riding deeply embedded in export-oriented agriculture, Portage—Lisgar's farmers and agribusinesses felt the tariff uncertainty acutely, while the Pembina Valley's rapid population growth put pressure on housing and local services.