OTTAWA (LifeSiteNews) – Conservative MP Leslyn Lewis became the first candidate to officially make it onto the final ballot for the leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada (CPC).
“It’s confirmed that I am the first candidate to make it on the ballot,” Lewis tweeted Tuesday.
“Hope, Unity and Compassion isn’t a mere slogan. It’s a way of doing politics that Canadians are desperate for.”
Lewis on Monday had tweeted that with the help of her “grassroots supporters,” hers was the first “campaign to announce that we have submitted the full $300,000 to officially get on the ballot.”
Lewis, who serves as the MP for the Ontario riding of Haldimand-Norfolk, announced a month ago that she will run to become the leader of the CPC.
The CPC will hold its leadership vote on September 10. Thus far, at least 10 candidates have put forth their names in the race, including CPC MP Pierre Poilievre, whom many consider the frontrunner.
However, Lewis had a strong showing in the 2020 CPC leadership race, garnering 25 percent of the vote, and has strong grassroots support.
She also has a stellar pro-life record as an MP.
Campaign Life Coalition gives Lewis a “green light” rating as a “supportable” pro-life candidate for her strong voting record in favor of life.
Lewis has been busy over the past few days and weeks holding campaign rallies in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario, and is now in Alberta.
She recently told LifeSiteNews that should she become party leader and once day Prime Minister, she can bring “unity” to the divisions.
Lewis also touted her “common sense” pro-life policies in speaking with LifeSiteNews as well.
Regarding controversial issues such as abortion, she said that even those who may shy away from “pro-life” issues in general do support the “common-sense,” life-affirming policies she has supported.
“I have always had a lot of success finding areas where we can agree on. Even on controversial issues, I have always been able to find areas of agreement and unity,” Lewis told LifeSiteNews.
“For example, many people who shy away at the words ‘pro-life’ are very supportive when they see the common-sense life policies I’ve put forward on supporting pregnancy care centres and banning sex-selective abortions.”
Last fall, she along with two other CPC MPs spoke at a CLC rally titled Save Our Charities.
At the rally, Lewis along with two other CPC MPs called out pro-abortion Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for promising to strip pregnancy resource centers of their charitable status because they choose and promote life instead of abortion.
Lewis recently said that if elected Prime Minister she will reinstate the Office of Religious Freedom to ensure Canada would once again be a “defender” of religious liberty.
While many have come forward to state their intentions to run in the CPC leadership, candidates have only until April 19 to submit their first paperwork to enter the race. By April 29, they then must hand in their nomination papers with 500 signatures from party members, along with the $300,000 fee.
Should the CPC elect a leader who can rally all sides of the party together, its chances of winning the next election are higher.
CLC recently endorsed CPC MP Marc Dalton and Grant Abraham, two other pro-life and pro-family candidates who announced their intentions to run for the CPC leadership.