Names in the mix: a list of potential Conservative leadership contenders

OTTAWA – The Conservative leadership race has begun and the deadline to register as a candidate and meet the first round of requirements is Feb. 27.

Here is a list of the people, in alphabetical order, who are mulling over making a bid.

— Rona Ambrose: former interim leader of the Conservative party and MP from an Edmonton-area riding.

— Bryan Brulotte: businessman and one-time Progressive Conservative candidate from Chelsea, Que.

— Jean Charest: former Liberal premier of Quebec, Progressive Conservative party leader and federal cabinet minister.

— Michael Chong: former Conservative cabinet minister, current MP for Ontario riding of Wellington-Halton Hills. Ran in the 2017 race.

— Gerard Deltell: current Conservative MP for the Quebec riding of Louis-Saint-Laurent and former provincial MNA.

— Richard Decarie: political aide under former Conservative leader Stephen Harper while in opposition, helped run Harper’s Quebec operations.

— Michelle Rempel Garner: Conservative MP for the riding of Calgary Nose Hill.

— Marilyn Gladu: Conservative MP for Ontario riding of Sarnia-Lambton.

— Vincent Guzzo: movie-theatre mogul from Quebec who also stars in the reality-TV program “Dragons’ Den.”

— Rudy Husny: longtime Quebec political operative for the Conservative party.

— Peter MacKay: former Progressive Conservative leader, Conservative cabinet minister and longtime MP from Nova Scotia, who now lives in Toronto.

— Erin O’Toole: former Conservative cabinet minister and current MP from the Toronto-area riding of Durham. Ran in the 2017 race.

— Pierre Poilievre: former Conservative cabinet minister and current MP from the Ottawa-area riding of Carleton.

— Aron Seal: former director of policy for two Conservative cabinet ministers.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 13, 2020.