Bruce Fanjoy, retired businessman, says he defeated Poilievre by listening to voters

Bruce Fanjoy says he achieved something unexpected in Monday's election — the defeat of a high-profile Conservative leader in his own riding — simply by showing up on doorsteps and paying attention to what voters in Carleton were telling him.

Sitting outside at a café in Manotick, Ont., on Wednesday, Fanjoy said he wasn't surprised by his win over Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre because he knew how hard his team had worked and how many hours they had put into the race.

"We've been at this for a long time," said Fanjoy, who has famously knocked on more than 15,000 doors in his riding since he began campaigning two years ago. "I felt good about our chances."

Fanjoy said he knew he'd be a contender in the riding and the early results on election night were "very encouraging."

"I thought, OK, OK, we're right in this," said Fanjoy, who was leading Poilievre throughout the night. "As the night wore on, I was confident."

Fanjoy said he went to bed at about 3:30 a.m. ET Tuesday morning. A little over an hour later, he said, he got the call confirming that he had won.

"I felt that it was coming. I just needed to be patient," he said, adding that people love an underdog story. "But still, it's a relief."

Fanjoy won Carleton by a margin of 4,315 votes.

Poilievre was first elected in 2004 and has won in the suburban Ottawa riding six subsequent times over the last 21 years.

He took the Conservative party reins in 2022, winning the leadership by a wide margin on the first ballot. He has a reputation for being a very effective Opposition leader, with a penchant for pointed attacks in question period. 

He has also proven to be a divisive figure. Polls during the election campaign consistently showed he had negative personal approval ratings, particularly among women.

Fanjoy said Poilievre neglected his constituents.

"I think that he took the riding for granted," he said. "Not just between elections. But in this election there was no evidence of a very active campaign from him until it was too late, last week, when they realized that this was going to be closer than they thought.

"It's been the pattern of how he's represented Carleton for the last number of years. He's taken us for granted and nobody likes to feel taken for granted. And that came back and played a huge role in this campaign."

Fanjoy said he started reaching out to Carleton constituents before the campaign even began.

He said moderate Conservatives in the riding seemed unhappy with the negative and divisive politics he attributes to Poilievre's campaign. Fanjoy said his sense is that people want to see politicians work together.

Asked about his future political aspirations, Fanjoy said he just wants to be a "really strong" MP for Carleton.

"They haven't had one for a while," he said, adding that he will focus on ensuring his constituents have access togovernment programs and services.

"I don't know if I'll be asked to do more, take on more national responsibilities. But first and foremost, I just want to be a strong representative for all of Carleton."

Fanjoy's LinkedIn profile says he's a retired business professional focused on sustainability and climate change. Hehas worked for businesses like Deloitte and Ceridian and has also lived in Halifax and Winnipeg.

In 2022, he was featured in the Ottawa Citizen for building what he called an "exceptionally sustainable home."

Fanjoy said that in recent years, he's been involved in several community boards trying to improve things like road safety, sailing and biking.

He said politics is a "big change" but he's looking forward to it. 

"I'm going from an otherwise fairly quiet life to a very public life, but you know I feel good about what we've done both for Carleton and for the country," he said. "I'm not nervous."

A social media post of Fanjoy's from January 2024 has been recirculating since Monday. In it, he responds to a critic who said he couldn't beat Poilievre, saying: "Watch me."

"I remember when I originally posted that, which interestingly enough was on the first anniversary of when I announced that I was going to seek the nomination," Fanjoy said. "It's important to believe in oneself."

Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby