The Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba has seen a significant surge in memberships ahead of its upcoming leadership race. According to party officials, membership numbers have jumped from 2,200 to nearly 11,000 before the February 28 deadline.
Despite this increase, the party has not disclosed how many memberships were secured by each candidate — nor have the candidates themselves.
Candidates Gaining Support
Obby Khan, a sitting MLA and former cabinet minister, expressed confidence in his campaign. In a statement, he shared that his campaign has earned “deep and broad support from across Winnipeg and rural Manitoba” — support he believes will lead to victory on April 26.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Wally Daudrich, a hotel owner and long-time PC party board member, claimed their campaign had sold “about the same” number of memberships as Khan’s.
Party in Rebuilding Mode
The Manitoba PCs are in a rebuilding phase after their 2023 election loss and the resignation of former premier Heather Stefanson. Members will cast their votes — primarily by mail-in ballots — with the winner being announced on April 26.
Who Has the Edge?
Political experts suggest that Daudrich faces an uphill battle against Khan, who is widely viewed as the establishment candidate with strong backing from caucus members.
According to Paul Thomas, professor emeritus of political studies at the University of Manitoba, new party rules make the race more challenging for Daudrich. The point system introduced in this leadership race caps the number of votes in each constituency. This rule encourages candidates to build support across the province rather than focusing on specific regions.
“If I look at Mr. Daudrich’s greatest areas of appeal, they are likely in the north and conservative-leaning southern rural parts of Manitoba,” Thomas explained.
Competing Visions
Khan has positioned himself as a big-tent conservative, emphasizing his experience in winning two elections and his active role in the legislature.
Daudrich, on the other hand, has promoted a more conservative platform. His pledges include:
- Shrinking government size
- Eliminating the provincial fuel tax
He has also identified as pro-life but emphasized that decisions on abortion and other issues would remain with the party’s grassroots members.
Could Daudrich Pull Off an Upset?
Despite Khan being the perceived frontrunner, Christopher Adams, an adjunct professor of political studies at the University of Manitoba, warns against counting Daudrich out.
The previous PC leadership race saw Heather Stefanson narrowly defeat Shelly Glover. Like Khan, Stefanson had a seat in the legislature and strong caucus backing. Yet, Glover managed to sell thousands of memberships, ultimately building momentum that nearly secured her victory.
“Daudrich might be under the radar,” Adams remarked.
Membership Decline Explained
While membership numbers this time are lower than the 25,000 seen in the last race, Adams noted this drop is expected since the PCs are now in Opposition, and fewer people tend to purchase memberships when a party isn’t in power.
New Voting System
This year’s leadership race introduces a points-based voting system that reduces the influence of constituencies with large membership numbers. For example:
- A constituency with up to 100 members assigns one point per vote.
- In constituencies with 400 members, the total vote value caps at 200 points.
- No constituency can exceed 500 points.
This system makes it harder for an outsider to rely on concentrated membership sales in a few regions to win the race, reinforcing the need for broad provincial support.
The race is set to conclude on April 26, where Manitoba PC members will decide their party’s future direction.
नमस्ते, मेरा नाम अमित वर्मा है। मैं हिंदी में सरकारी योजनाओं और स्कीम्स से जुड़ी ताज़ा खबरें और जानकारी साझा करता हूं। राजस्थान का निवासी होने के नाते, मेरा उद्देश्य आपको सभी सरकारी योजनाओं की सटीक और सरल जानकारी प्रदान करना है।