Former Bay of Quinte MP Ryan Williams has announced he will not seek the Conservative nomination for the next federal election.
“Right now, my family and business need more of my attention. I’m not going anywhere, and we have an incredible local conservative association, and I want to help make sure we have a new candidate, new energy and a strong team that can win Bay of Quinte in the next election.”
“We do want a strong candidate who represents us and I’m there to help to push that and to support that however I can. On the last election, we had the most conservative votes ever for a Bellville riding in history. So that’s really big. People are believing in our party and our riding and it’s a big testament to our local EDA and I think the point will be we’re going to try to make sure we have the right candidate, whatever process that that happens in, and to make sure that we can win the next election.”
He lost to Liberal Chris Malette in the April 2025 federal election.
“We were running always against a bigger monster which was Trump last election. You have a lot of disinformation, I would call it, things that were really hard to get around.”
“Canadians now more than ever need the right information to talk about the real issues and to be able to make change that benefits your children, your grandchildren, and what kind of country we’re leaving for them in the future.”
His full statement can be found below
Bay of Quinte Electoral District President John McCubbin and Ryan Williams.
Former Bay of Quinte Member of Parliament Ryan Williams is encouraging the local party to embrace a new chapter of leadership and build on its historic electoral support.
“In the 2025 federal election, our team earned 29,130 Conservative votes — the highest number ever recorded for a Conservative candidate in Bay of Quinte or its historic Belleville-area predecessor ridings. That’s a remarkable achievement by our volunteers and our Electoral District Association,” said Williams. “We have an incredible local Conservative association, with dedicated volunteers, members and supporters who have built something special. This is an opportunity to bring forward new leadership, fresh ideas and renewed energy as we prepare for the next election.”
John McCubbin, president of the Bay of Quinte Conservative Electoral District Association, said the association is looking forward to selecting its next candidate through a competitive nomination process.
“We want as many interested candidates as possible to know about this opportunity and consider putting their names forward. A strong, open and robust nomination process is important for our party and our community. We look forward to giving our members the opportunity to select the next Conservative candidate to represent Bay of Quinte in Parliament.”
Williams, who served on Belleville City Council before being elected to Parliament in 2021, said his decision not to run again is a personal one, allowing him to focus on his family and business interests.
“Representing this community has been one of the greatest privileges of my life. While my priorities are now with my family and businesses, my commitment to the Conservative Party and Bay of Quinte remains as strong as ever.”
Williams made clear that he intends to fully support whoever local members select as their next Conservative candidate.
“I believe Conservatives can win Bay of Quinte in the next election. I’ll be fully behind our next candidate and will do everything I can to support our local team. This is not about one person. It’s about a strong local party, a competitive nomination and the next generation of leadership. We have an incredible team, and I’m excited about what comes next.”
