With newly-elected Prime Minister Mark Carney expected to call a snap election in the coming days, candidates for most major parties have yet to be nominated in the Foothills electoral district.
Reports indicate that Carney is expected to call Canada's 45th federal election on Sunday, March 23, with the election to be held as early as April 28.
Only two parties, the Conservative Party of Canada and Liberal Party of Canada, currently have candidates formally nominated to run for the Foothills seat.
John Barlow, who has represented Foothills in the House of Commons since 2015, confirmed that he will be seeking re-election in the upcoming federal election under the leadership of Pierre Poilievre.
Barlow was first elected in a 2014 by-election when the seat was called Macleod, before being re-elected to the newly-named Foothills riding in the 2015 election. In 2019 and 2021, Barlow retained the seat with 82 and 69 per cent of the vote respectively.
Liberal Party candidate John Bruinsma, a political newcomer, was acclaimed as the party's candidate on Feb. 20.
The New Democratic Party, Green Party and People's Party of Canada do not currently have candidates nominated.
The People's Party of Canada's formerly-nominated candidate, Diego Machado, decided against running, according to a social media announcement on Feb. 20. According to the riding association's Facebook page, candidate Paul O'Halloran is currently in the process of being nominated by the party.
While an election date has yet to be confirmed, federal election campaigns must go for at least 37 days.
