Manitoba Tories prepare for leadership race less than a year before next election

Progressive Conservative party officials in Manitoba are preparing for a leadership race, scheduled to take place less than a year before the next provincial election. The party's president, Peter Smith, announced that a leadership convention will be held following Obby Khan's sudden departure in September. Khan, who resigned in dramatic fashion following allegations of a secret plot against him, had previously won a confidence vote.

The executive council will meet on November 21 to set a date for the leadership contest, which must occur before the October 5 election. Despite Premier Wab Kinew's recent pledge to call an early election, Smith stated that the party is not rushing to appoint a new leader. The party's internal divisions and past leadership races, which have been contentious, are factors that Smith and political expert Paul Thomas believe should be taken into account.

Thomas emphasized that the party must find a leader who can bridge rural and urban divides and clearly define the party's platform moving forward.