Conservative MP Larry Brock to resign next month, triggering eighth federal byelection
- Conservative MP Larry Brock for Brantford-Brant South-Six Nations announced he will resign on September 18 to return to work as a Crown attorney, marking the seventh departure from Pierre Poilievre’s Conservative caucus since the 2025 election.
- Brock, a former shadow justice minister and prosecutor with nearly 19 years of experience, emphasized his commitment to community safety and criminal justice reform in his resignation statement.
- His resignation triggers a federal byelection in his Ontario riding, which 338Canada currently rates as “leaning” Conservative with a 71% chance of retaining the seat.
- The Conservative caucus has faced multiple departures and floor crossings to the Liberals, boosting the Liberals’ seat count from 169 to 173 since the last federal election.
Conservative MP for Brantford-Brant South-Six Nations, Larry Brock, announced he’ll be resigning as a Member of Parliament next month, marking the latest in a string of departures from Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s caucus.
In a letter announcing his intention to step down, which was shared on social media on Thursday, Brock said that he will officially resign his seat Sept. 18 to “return directly to the front lines of justice” at the Crown attorney’s office in Brantford, Ont.
“My commitment to community safety hasn’t wavered one bit, and getting back into the courtroom means I can keep being tough on crime, making sure real justice happens right here at home,” he said in the statement.
pic.twitter.com/pcW5HZnwnO
— Larry Brock (@LarryBrockMP) August 7, 2026
Brock, who served as shadow justice minister before being replaced in June by Ontario MP Arpan Khanna, previously held a position with the Brantford Crown attorney’s office and was a prosecutor for almost 19 years before running for federal politics.
The Ontario MP said he was “honoured” to hold the position of justice critic, “given my commitment to reforming the criminal justice system, holding criminals accountable and restoring trust and confidence in our legal system.”
Brock was first elected to Parliament in 2021, replacing longtime Conservative MP Phil McColeman, who had been in office since 2008, and was re-elected in 2025 with more than 52 per cent of the vote share.
In the 2021 election, Brock won 40 per cent of the vote, with the Liberal candidate coming in second with a 28 per cent share.
Poilievre responded to Brock’s resignation letter on social media, thanking the Ontario MP for “fighting to end Liberal bail, to lock up criminals, to restore safe streets and to support victims.”
Thank you, Larry, for fighting to end Liberal bail, to lock up criminals, to restore safe streets and to support victims; and for your tireless work for the people of Brantford—Brant South—Six Nations.
My ardent wish is for you and your family to have all the success and… https://t.co/PStpqal3Xe
— Pierre Poilievre (@PierrePoilievre) August 7, 2026
Elsewhere on social media, Brock received support from other Conservative colleagues. Lethbridge MP Rachael Thomas thanked him for “exemplify(ing) the very best of public service,” while Saskatchewan Senator Denise Batters highlighted “his work over the last 5 years to try to toughen the Liberal Govt’s weak criminal laws.”
His resignation will trigger a federal byelection in the Ontario riding, which will be the eighth held between Aug. 31 and mid-April.
It also makes him the seventh MP to leave Poilievre’s caucus since the 2025 election, after Chris d’Entremont, Michael Ma, Matt Jeneroux and Marilyn Gladu all crossed the floor to join the Liberals, and Cathay Wagantall announced plans to resign her seat effective August 31.
Quebec Conservative MP Richard Martel was appointed to the Senate by Prime Minister Mark Carney last month, with a spokesperson in the Prime Minister’s Office confirming that he will sit as an Independent.
Martel’s riding of Chicotoumi-Le Fjord will hold a byelection at the end of the month, along with byelections in North Vancouver-Capilano and Beaches-East York in Toronto to replace former Liberal cabinet ministers Jonathan Wilkinson and Nate Erskine-Smith.
Other byelections have not yet been called in several ridings where the incumbents have said they will resign, but they must be called between 11 and 180 days after a seat becomes vacant, with formal byelection campaigns lasting between 36 and 50 days.
The combination of floor crossings and three byelection victories earlier this year means the Liberals’ seat count currently stands at 173 — up from the 169 the party won in last year’s federal election.
According to political forecasting website 338Canada, Brock’s riding is currently listed as “leaning” Conservative, with a projected vote share of 44 per cent, compared to 41 per cent for the Liberals.
In the event an election was held immediately, 338Canada puts the Conservatives’ odds of winning at 71 per cent, as of Aug. 2. The riding of Brantford-Brant South-Six Nations has been Conservative for 18 years, since Liberal Lloyd St. Amand was ousted by McColeman in 2008.
“I have full confidence that the team will keep delivering for this community for the years to come with the soon-to-be next Conservative MP for Brantford-Brant South,” Brock’s statement said.