Bit of a lone wolf: New Brunswick Tory Leader Blaine Higgs seeks 3rd term in office – New Brunswick [Video]

The past two years have not been easy for New Brunswick Progressive Conservative Leader Blaine Higgs, but he has proven resilient.

Faced with a mutiny from within his own party over his leadership style, he fought back and survived an attempt to oust him as leader. When cabinet ministers publicly dissented from caucus, he replaced them.

The Tory leader has had public spats since 2022 with at least 12 caucus members, who have chosen not to run in this election. But he’s resurfaced from that turbulence with a full slate of 49 candidates to present to the public — and polls have said the election is close.

He has taken his party decidedly more to the right, especially on social issues. Among his thin list of campaign promises — there are only 11 — is a pledge to reject all new applications for supervised drug-injection sites; to force severely addicted …