Here Are The Most Surprising Federal Election Losses

A number of veteran politicians won’t be returning to the House of Commons next term, after losing to determined opponents on their home turf.

Where the Liberals earned some strategic wins in Ontario, the Conservatives dominated out west, bumping out some of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s former cabinet ministers. And while Jody Wilson Raybould narrowly won as an independent, another high-profile incumbent wasn’t so lucky.

Jane Philpott 

The former minister of health came third in her Markham-Stouffville, Ont. riding, losing to Liberal candidate Helena Jaczek.  

Philpott made headlines earlier this year when she was forced out of the Liberal caucus after backing Wilson Raybould in the SNC-Lavalin Affair and speaking out against Trudeau’s government. She ran as an independent. 

Maxime Bernier 

Bernier has represented the Quebec riding of Beauce since 2006, mostly as a Conservative MP. He left the party last year to form his own, more right-leaning alternative, the People’s Party of Canada. 

Since then, he’s come under fire for contentious decisions, such as taking a photo with a white supremicist, courting radical fringe group votes and pushing an anti-immigration agenda.  

Bernier was defeated by Tory candidate Richard Lehoux.

Lisa Raitt 

Raitt was a minister in Stephen Harper’s Conservative government, and named deputy Opposition leader in 2017. 

She was unable to keep her Milton, Ont. riding, however, and lost to Liberal candidate Adam van Koeverden , an Olympic gold medallist in kayaking.

Ralph Goodale

For 26 years, Goodale was the Liberal MP for his Saskatchewan riding, currently called Regina-Wascana. In Trudeau’s government, he was a key player, and most recently minister of public safety and emergency preparedness. 

Conservative candidate Michael Kram easily beat him this election, with 49 per cent of the votes, as the Tories dominated the province.

Kent Hehr 

After one term, Hehr lost Calgary Centre in a landslide to to Conservative Greg McLean. Hehr had served as the Liberal minister of sport and persons with disabilities, and resigned from cabinet in 2018 amid allegations of sexual harassment. 

Amarjeet Sohi

Trudeau’s former minister of natural resources, Sohi was defeated in Edmonton Mill Woods to Conservative Tim Uppal.