Jenni Byrne, the veteran political operative who directed the Conservative Party of Canada’s spring 2025 federal campaign, said she will not manage the party’s next national race. In an interview released this week on the “Beyond a Ballot” podcast, Byrne—long-time adviser to Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre and former chief of staff to prime minister Stephen Harper—said she has stepped away from day-to-day campaign work but will continue to provide strategic counsel. Byrne acknowledged missteps in the April 28 election that returned Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberals to power, yet argued that none would have altered the overall result. One regret, she said, was not recognising sooner that Poilievre risked losing his long-held Carleton seat. She also cited budgeting and personnel choices she would handle differently in hindsight. The strategist defended the campaign’s decision to avoid making U.S. President Donald Trump and his sweeping tariffs a central theme, contending that such a focus would have benefited Liberal messaging. Byrne maintained that Conservative support held steady from January polling levels, while accusing Carney of overstating his ability to negotiate with Washington. Byrne managed Conservative election efforts in 2011, 2015 and 2025. Her departure from the top role comes amid internal criticism over the party’s fourth consecutive federal defeat, setting the stage for a new campaign director ahead of the next vote.