Manitoba PCs preventing former leadership hopeful from seeking nomination in Turtle Mountain

Wally Daudrich speaks out after the Progressive Conservatives are preventing him from running for the party in the next election.

A former leadership candidate for Manitoba’s Progressive Conservatives will not be allowed to run for the party.

The PCs announced that Wally Daudrich will not be able to seek nomination under the party’s banner in the riding of Turtle Mountain.

Daudrich had previously announced his intentions to seek the nomination in Turtle Mountain and has been actively campaigning in the area, according to posts on his social media.

“Candidate nominations are conducted in accordance with the Party’s constitution, rules, and candidate review processes,” the PCs said in a news release. The party said it would have no further comment on the situation.

A reason was not provided for why Daudrich won’t be able to seek nomination.

Daudrich went head-to-head with Tory leader Obby Khan in last year’s leadership race, narrowly falling 50.4 per cent to 49.6 per cent.

Speaking with CTV News Friday, Daudrich said he found out about the decision while speaking with the mayor of Boissevain.

“My phone starts lighting up, and lo and behold, I run out to my truck and found out that the party had sent out emails, of which I hadn’t gotten yet, but had sent out this news release that I was no longer welcome in running for the party,” he said.

Daudrich, who said he has spent six months campaigning in the region, said he was disappointed with the decision, noting he has been a long-time member of the party and even purchased the Progressive Conservative’s old headquarters last year.

“The return that I get is essentially being fired without cause or without telling me why, and telling everybody else before that,” he said.

Daudrich did not reveal his next steps for the current situation or if he planned to run in the next election, currently scheduled for 2027.

Doyle Piwniuk is the current PC MLA for the area but previously announced he is not planning to seek re-election, saying he wanted to spend more time with his family and focus on the next chapter of his life.