Conservative leadership candidate profile: Leslyn Lewis
Lawyer would become the first Black woman to lead a national political party in Canada
This is the third in a series of profiles from CBC News' The National on the candidates looking to become the next leader of the Conservative Party of Canada.
Lawyer Leslyn Lewis doesn't have a seat in Parliament but is vying for the Conservative Party of Canada leadership under a social conservative banner — and would become the first Black woman to lead a Canadian national political party if she wins.
Lewis, whose family immigrated to Canada from Jamaica when she was five, has multiple degrees and has practised law for nearly 20 years. She argues that Conservatives need to be clear about what they intend to do in office.
The fourth and final profile will be posted Thursday. Conservatives are selecting a new leader using mail-in balloting and the winner is expected to be announced on the weekend.
CBC News will have special coverage of the Conservative leadership race results on Sunday, Aug. 23 on cbc.ca, CBC Television and CBC News Network, starting at 5 p.m. ET, and on CBC Radio One starting at 6:30 p.m. ET.
Corrections
- The video on this page has been edited from a previous version that incorrectly stated Leslyn Lewis was the only candidate in the race who is not an MP. In fact, Peter MacKay is a former MP but also does not currently hold a seat in the Commons. Additionally, the previous version said Lewis would be the first Black woman to head a Canadian political party; however, Vivian Barbot served as interim leader of the Quebec-only Bloc Quebecois in 2011.Aug 19, 2020 8:08 PM ET