“Marilyn Gladu ran for the Conservative Party leadership in 2020 and lost.”

Media reportsNews reportApril 8, 2026

Background in coverage of Marilyn Gladu crossing the floor from the Conservatives to the Liberals in April 2026.

Our verdict

Misleading

Gladu did run in 2020 and was an official candidate, but she dropped out before the vote, so she did not lose a ballot.

What we found

Gladu launched her bid in January 2020 and became the fourth official candidate, but withdrew in March when the party ruled she could not use her own money to meet the $300,000 entry requirement. Erin O'Toole won in August 2020. Saying she ran is right; saying she lost implies a defeat at the ballot that never happened. Our first version wrongly said she never ran.

The evidence

1 of 2 sources contradict the claim; none support it.

Contradict 1Support 0Background 1

Background
Gladu became the fourth official candidate in the Conservative leadership race in February 2020. [1]
Contradicts the claim
She left the race after the party ruled she could not self-fund the $300,000 requirement. [2]

How we checked

We checked the claim against CBC News, Postmedia. We reviewed 2 relevant sources.

Sources

[1]Postmedia · Ontario MP Marilyn Gladu becomes the fourth official candidate
[2]CBC News · Marilyn Gladu Conservative leadership

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