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A day after Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre made a stop in Cambridge, party members in Kitchener South-Hespeler voted in their candidate of choice for the next federal election.
Dr. Matt Strauss, of Cambridge, will be the on the riding's ballot when the prime minister makes the call to launch the next election, on or before Oct. 20, 2025.
"Thank you to the Conservatives from my hometown, Kitchener South-Hespeler for making me their candidate in the next election," wrote Strauss on social media. "Let’s bring home the True, Strong, Free, Canada that we all remember."
1/ Thank you to the Conservatives from my hometown, Kitchener South—Hespeler for making me their candidate in the next election!
— Matt Strauss (@strauss_matt) November 19, 2023
I think for many of us, there were dark times during the pandemic where it felt like we were speaking up for freedom and common sense alone.
Not… pic.twitter.com/OxpCbWiafJ
In a press release, the Conservative Party said they are pleased to announce Strauss as the new common sense Conservative candidate in Kitchener South-Hespeler.
"Critical Care Doctor, Matt Strauss, believes in uniting for freedom and common sense," says the release.
Strauss beat out previous nominee Tyler Calver to represent his hometown of Hespeler.
Before his life as the Conservative party's nominee, he served in an intensive care unit at Kingston General Hospital and taught as an assistant professor of medicine at Queen's University Medical School.
After leaving his position at the university, he launched a $600,000 lawsuit against the school claiming he had to resign after malicious, aggressive, condescending and defamatory statements were made about him.
Strauss' comments on social media during the pandemic launched him into the national spotlight after condemning policies surrounding COVID-19, masks and lockdowns.
In a since-deleted tweet on Aug. 3 2020, Strauss claimed he would, "sooner give my children COVID-19 than a McDonald's happy meal."
In Sept. 2021, Strauss was appointed Haldimand-Norfolk's acting medical officer of health, but resigned after 18 months of work.
The Cambridge riding for the Conservative Party is in the process of looking for its candidate for the next federal election.
"The position is open to any Conservative Party member who would like to put their name in," said Zach Dykstra, Conservative Party regional organizer.
While there isn't a running list of nominees for the Cambridge area, Connie Cody, the nominee in 2021, has announced she will put her name forward for the role to represent her hometown once again.
