Raquel Dancho
Canadian politician (born 1990)
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Raquel Dancho MP (born April 16, 1990) is a Canadian politician who serves as the member of Parliament (MP) for Kildonan—St. Paul, Manitoba. A member of the Conservative Party, Dancho was elected following the 2019 Canadian federal election.[2]
Raquel Dancho | |
|---|---|
Dancho in 2018 | |
| Member of Parliament for Kildonan—St. Paul | |
| Assumed office October 21, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | MaryAnn Mihychuk |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 16, 1990 Beausejour, Manitoba, Canada |
| Party | Conservative |
| Spouse |
Scott Gurski (m. 2021) |
| Children | 1 |
| Alma mater | McGill University (BA)[1] |
Early life
Dancho was raised in the town of Beausejour, Manitoba.[3] She attended McGill University first as a business student before switching to political science.[3] Upon finishing her education, Dancho returned to Manitoba where she unsuccessfully sought a seat in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, after which she worked for several ministers in Brian Pallister's government.[3]
Political career
Dancho unsuccessfully contested the district of Wolseley for the Progressive Conservatives in the 2016 provincial election.
Following the defeat of the Conservatives in the 2019 Canadian federal election in which she prevailed in the riding of Kildonan-St. Paul, she was appointed to the Official Opposition's Shadow Cabinet by Andrew Scheer, serving as Shadow Minister for Diversity, Inclusion and Youth.[4]
Dancho supported Erin O'Toole in the 2020 Conservative Party of Canada leadership election.[5]
In November 2021 she was appointed by O'Toole the Shadow Minister for Public Safety and vice-chair of the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security (SECU).[6]
On February 25, 2022, interim Conservative leader Candice Bergen re-appointed Dancho the Shadow Minister for Public Safety.[7]
During the Freedom Convoy 2022 protests, Raquel opposed the Prime Minister's measures, which she sees as draconian and against fundamental freedoms. She also supports an end to mandates.
She was elected vice chair of the Canadian House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology in the 45th Canadian Parliament in 2025.
Personal life
Dancho began a relationship with Scott Gurski in 2012. The couple became engaged in 2018 and married in October 2021. In June 2023, Dancho announced that she was expecting their first child due in November.[8]
Electoral record
Federal
| 2025 Canadian federal election: Kildonan—St. Paul | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ** Preliminary results — Not yet official ** | ||||||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| Conservative | Raquel Dancho | 26,366 | 47.49 | +5.04 | ||||
| Liberal | Thomas Naaykens | 24,818 | 44.70 | +16.79 | ||||
| New Democratic | Emily Clark | 3,853 | 6.94 | –16.86 | ||||
| People's | Erik Holmes | 486 | 0.88 | –4.54 | ||||
| Total valid votes/expense limit | ||||||||
| Total rejected ballots | ||||||||
| Turnout | 55,523 | 71.90 | ||||||
| Eligible voters | 77,223 | |||||||
| Conservative notional hold | Swing | –5.88 | ||||||
| Source: Elections Canada[9][10] | ||||||||
| 2021 Canadian federal election: Kildonan—St. Paul | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| Conservative | Raquel Dancho | 18,375 | 41.8 | -3.0 | $79,711.15 | |||
| Liberal | Mary-Jane Bennett | 12,934 | 29.4 | +1.5 | $30,391.22 | |||
| New Democratic | Emily Clark | 10,313 | 23.5 | +2.3 | $5,804.65 | |||
| People's | Sean Howe | 2,325 | 5.3 | +4.1 | $2,327.71 | |||
| Total valid votes/expense limit | 43,947 | 99.2 | – | $105,384.72 | ||||
| Total rejected ballots | 337 | 0.8 | ||||||
| Turnout | 44,284 | 66.1 | ||||||
| Eligible voters | 66,990 | |||||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | -2.3 | ||||||
| Source: Elections Canada[11] | ||||||||
| 2019 Canadian federal election: Kildonan—St. Paul | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| Conservative | Raquel Dancho | 19,856 | 44.8 | +4.96 | $92,599.19 | |||
| Liberal | MaryAnn Mihychuk | 12,356 | 27.9 | -14.76 | none listed | |||
| New Democratic | Evan Krosney | 9,387 | 21.2 | +6.91 | none listed | |||
| Green | Rylan Reed | 1,777 | 4.0 | +2.22 | $0.00 | |||
| People's | Martin Deck | 510 | 1.2 | – | none listed | |||
| Christian Heritage | Spencer Katerynuk | 304 | 0.7 | -0.41 | $2,640.00 | |||
| Independent | Eduard Hiebert | 108 | 0.2 | -0.12 | $741.74 | |||
| Total valid votes/expense limit | 44,298 | 100.0 | ||||||
| Total rejected ballots | 222 | |||||||
| Turnout | 44,520 | 67.7 | ||||||
| Eligible voters | 65,719 | |||||||
| Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +9.99 | ||||||
| Source: Elections Canada[12][13] | ||||||||
Provincial
| 2016 Manitoba general election: Wolseley | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| New Democratic | Rob Altemeyer | 3,037 | 41.27 | -19.46 | $32,887.29 | |||
| Green | David Nickarz | 2,645 | 35.94 | +16.30 | $15,710.81 | |||
| Progressive Conservative | Raquel Dancho | 945 | 12.84 | +0.64 | $7,262.81 | |||
| Liberal | Shandi Strong | 653 | 8.87 | +1.45 | $3,844.07 | |||
| Manitoba | Wayne Sturby | 79 | 1.07 | $1,094.12 | ||||
| Total valid votes/expense limit | 7,359 | 98.92 | $39,244.00 | |||||
| Total rejected ballots | 80 | 1.08 | +0.29 | |||||
| Turnout | 7,439 | 63.26 | +7.66 | |||||
| Eligible voters | 11,759 | |||||||
| New Democratic hold | Swing | -17.88 | ||||||
| Source: Elections Manitoba[14][15] | ||||||||