OTTAWA, Ontario (LifeSiteNews) – Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) MP Dr. Leslyn Lewis “will be” running in the upcoming party leadership race slated to take place on September 10, confirmed a party insider with direct knowledge of the situation to LifeSiteNews.
“Yes, she will be running for party leadership,” said the CPC insider to LifeSiteNews on Monday.
“She’ll be ready if everything is good to go.”
The CPC source told LifeSiteNews that Lewis is going over the finer details of the requirements for entering the leadership race before making an official announcement.
Such an announcement could come “very soon” or “not quite so soon,” but it will most likely be later this week, said the source.
Thus far, the only person who has officially said they are running for CPC leadership is MP Pierre Poilievre.
“This week might get wild,” said the source to LifeSiteNews, regarding who may or may not be announcing they will be running for party leader in the coming days.
Campaign Life Coalition gives Lewis a “green light” rating as a “supportable” pro-life candidate for her strong voting record in favor of life.
Poilievre has a “red light” rating for his voting record regarding abortion. However, he, like Lewis, has come out strongly against federal COVID vaccine mandates.
Last week, the CPC said that the party will be voting on a new leader on September 10. Candidates only have until April 19 to enter the leadership race, and those wanting to enter must post a $200,000 entry fee along with a $100,000 deposit.
The CPC insider told LifeSiteNews that Lewis is a candidate who can bring unity to the party and is someone who has broad support from many people across the political spectrum.
“We need someone who can unite the party,” said the CPC insider, adding that Lewis has support from even those who might not be considered traditional conservative voters.
Since the ousting of Erin O’Toole as CPC leader last month, many MPs from the party have come out more vocally against COVID mandates imposed by the Liberal government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Lewis, however, even when O’Toole was party leader was not afraid to speak her mind.
In early January, Lewis said Trudeau should treat Canadians who have refused the experimental COVID jabs with “respect” and not use “hateful and divisive” language toward them.
This came in response to Trudeau saying last year that Canadians who have chosen to not get the experimental COVID-19 jabs are “extremists,” “racists,” and “misogynists” who deny science.
In recent days, Lewis has come out strongly against both COVID mandates as well as Trudeau’s use of the Emergencies Act to deal with the trucker Freedom Convoy.
She has also spoken out strongly against a new internet censorship bill from Trudeau’s government, saying that the legislation, if passed, would open “the door” to internet suppression and canceling of opposing political views.
In October 2021, Lewis went after Trudeau’s push to get COVID vaccines in the arms of kids ages five to 11, saying some parents do indeed “question” the safety of the injections.
On mandatory COVID shots, Lewis told LifeSiteNews in 2020 that she does not “believe that the government should be allowed to force vaccinations on people.”
“The decision whether or not to vaccinate should be made by Canadians under the advice of their personal family doctor,” she said.
Lewis had a strong showing in the 2020 CPC leadership race, garnering 25 percent of the vote. She came in first place in Saskatchewan in the first round, then fell off the ranked ballot on the second round, despite having more votes than Erin O’Toole.
In the 2021 federal election, Lewis ran in the riding of Haldimand-Norfolk and won 47.5 percent of the votes, beating Liberal Party candidate Karen Matthews, who received 27 percent of the vote.