14th January 2025: Former B.C. Premier Christy Clark has announced she will not run to replace Justin Trudeau as leader of the federal Liberals and prime minister.
In a statement on her website on Tuesday, Jan. 14, Clark said she had assembled an impressive team on short notice but felt there wasn’t enough time to run a successful campaign or connect effectively with Francophone Canadians in their language. While she has been improving her French, Clark admitted it’s not at the level needed for a leadership race.
Her decision comes shortly after controversy surrounding her past political affiliations. Over the weekend, Clark denied in a interview that she had ever been a member of the federal Conservatives. However, she later clarified that she had supported former Quebec Premier Jean Charest’s 2022 leadership bid to prevent current leader Pierre Poilievre from winning and admitted she misspoke in the interview.
