Former B.C. premier Christy Clark won’t enter federal election race

Former B.C. premier Christy Clark announced Monday she won't seek federal election.

Former B.C. premier Christy Clark announced Monday that she will not be running with the Liberals in the upcoming federal election.

Clark officially doused rumours she would be entering federal politics in a statement posted to social media.

“I’ve received lots of encouragement and good wishes from Liberals and many other friends from across the country. Many thanks to all of you, but I won’t be running as a candidate in this election,” she wrote.

“Good luck to all those who are running for office. Thank you for stepping up for Canada at a critical moment for us all.”

Clark was premier from 2011 to 2017, elected under the banner of the BC Liberals – a party that has never been affiliated with the Liberal Party of Canada.

Earlier this year, Clark bowed out of the race to replace Justin Trudeau as Liberal leader, saying she would not have enough time to mount a successful bid and that she would not be able to “connect with Francophone Canadians in their language.”

Her decision not to enter the race also came after she denied in an interview with CBC News that she had joined the Conservative party in 2022 to endorse former Quebec premier Jean Charest in that party’s leadership race.

Shortly thereafter, Jenni Bryne — a top adviser to Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre — posted a screenshot to social media appearing to show Clark held CPC membership from June 2, 2022, to June 30, 2023.

When pressed on whether her mixed messaging on her Conservative membership factored into her decision to walk away, Clark said “no” but acknowledged she “misspoke.”

While she was considering running for leader, it was revealed that she was a member of the Conservative Party of Canada from June 2, 2022, to June 30, 2023, something she had previously denied.

After admitting she “misspoke” when asked about her Conservative membership, she told people she joined to try to prevent Pierre Poilievre from becoming the party’s leader.

“But I did become a member of the Conservative Party. So did many, many other Liberals that I knew, because we all saw the danger that Poilievre was going to create for the country if he had the chance to become prime minister.”

With files from CTV News Ottawa’s Stephanie Ha