Dupuis named NDP candidate for Brandon West

The Manitoba NDP has officially named a Brandon University program co-ordinator as its candidate for Brandon West in the next provincial election.

Cora Dupuis said she’s ready to flip the riding to NDP orange from Tory blue and has a responsibility to help people realize their potential.

“What we’ve demonstrated here tonight is that people are interested and people are here and excited, and I think people are ready to make a change,” the 44-year-old said after she was acclaimed as the party’s nominee.

The party formally nominated Dupuis Thursday evening at Brandon University’s Harvest Hall, where a crowd of about 185 people showed their support for Dupuis.

“After tonight, we’ve demonstrated there’s a real momentum around the campaign, but I’m not going to take Brandon West for granted the way the (Progressive) Conservatives have,” she said.

Dupuis has served as the director of Brandon University’s co-operative education program since 2019. The program helps university students combine their studies with related work experience.

Premier Wab Kinew, who attended Thursday’s nomination meeting, described Dupuis as “super exciting” and said the NDP has a lot of optimism for Manitoba.

“We’re trying to do a lot of good things for people in the Westman region, and I think Cora is going to fit right in should the people elect her, and she’ll hit the ground running,” Kinew, the NDP leader, told the Sun after the meeting.

In 2023, the NDP’s candidate for Brandon West, Quentin Robinson, lost by 89 votes to rookie Progressive Conservative MLA Wayne Balcaen, a former Brandon Police Service chief.

Multiple people at Thursday’s meeting said Robinson “laid the groundwork” for the next election.

The last time the NDP represented Brandon West was following the 2003 election.

“I hope that people have seen over the past almost three years that we’re the right fit for our province at this time,” Kinew said. “And so why not send an energetic, optimistic person who’s going to get things done for your neighbourhood and your part of Brandon?”

He said nominating Dupuis now, despite the next election being slated for no later than Oct. 5, 2027, gives her time to meet people in the community and share ideas.

“She’s got a ton of energy, you can see that from her speaking, you can see that from the people that she brought out, and the momentum, as she said, is clear to see,” he said.

Dupuis said she’s proud to represent the NDP as the party doesn’t believe that a postal code should determine a person’s opportunity in life.

The party, she said, “believes that where you start in life should never limit where you go, that everyone deserves the chance to discover what they’re capable of, because when we invest in people, there’s no limit to what we can achieve together.”

She said she’s “incredibly proud and deeply humbled” to accept the party nomination.

“Tonight is a celebration. It’s a celebration of the incredible journey ahead of us. Tonight we’re standing at the starting line, and the race is about to begin,” she said.

After the meeting, Dupuis said she’s already been on people’s doorsteps campaigning.

“I’m in it for the people, and I demonstrate that by showing up and having those conversations,” she said.

Brandon East MLA Glen Simard said the NDP is coming for the Brandon West riding, after a narrow loss in the 2025 Spruce Woods byelection in what had before been a PC stronghold.

The NDP came within 70 votes last August, which the party has largely said was a positive finish.

Balcaen, contacted by the Sun before the meeting, said Dupuis is “a good candidate,” adding: “I look forward to our competition as we move forward in this election.”

In April, Balcaen was announced as the riding’s PC candidate for the next election.

Asked how he would try to keep Brandon West in the PC fold, Balcaen said the party committed errors in its messaging during the last election and the current caucus is a new group. He also said he’s put great effort into representing Brandon West, and voters know the value in that.

“I’m going to continue doing exactly what I have done for the past three years,” Balcaen said. “And what I will continue to do for the next four years when I’m re-elected is serving the people of Brandon West and all of Brandon and placing them first.”

» alambert@brandonsun.com