Who is running to be the new Liberal Party of Canada leader?

Just days after Justin Trudeau announced his intention to resign as Prime Minister and leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, multiple people have already expressed interest in becoming his successor.

The Liberal Party announced Thursday it will select its next leader on March 9.

WHO’S IN

Chrystia Freeland

Former finance minister Chrystia Freeland says in a statement posted on social media she will officially launch her campaign on Sunday, Jan. 19.

Freeland’s first policy promise will be to impose dollar-for-dollar tariffs on U.S. imports to match the cost of tariffs U.S. president-elect Donald Trump has vowed to impose on Canada.

Mark Carney

Former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney ended nearly a decade of speculation about his political ambitions by announcing he plans to seek the leadership of the party.

He most recently chaired a Liberal task force on economic growth.

Carney’s supporters see him as a strong economic candidate, as the Liberals struggle to address the growing expense of basic needs in Canada and defend against criticism about government spending.

Conservatives have already taken aim at Carney releasing a new digital ad branding him as “carbon tax Carney.”

House Leader Karina Gould

Gould is the youngest candidate to throw her hat in the ring to replace Justin Trudeau, saying she’s the right person to rebuild the party.

Gould said the party needs new leadership to “fight for everyday Canadians” – someone who has a track record of “standing up to bullies” and won’t back down.

Gould has only been House Leader since July 2023, but the Burlington MP has been in Ottawa since being elected in 2015. She was previously the Minister of Democratic Institutions, Minister of International Development and Minister of Families, Children and Social Development.

MP Chandra Arya

Member of Parliament Chandra Arya for Nepean has announced he will be running for the leadership of the Liberal Party in a social media post.

“I am running to be the next Prime Minister of Canada to lead a small, more efficient government to rebuild our nation and secure prosperity for future generations,” read his post.

Arya will be launching a website detailing his policy proposals on Jan. 9 at 6 p.m.

He was first elected to Parliament in 2015 and before entering politics, he was an executive in high-technology sector. 

Frank Baylis

Former Montreal MP Frank Baylis declared his intent to enter the race in an interview Monday with The Hill Times.

Baylis was first elected in 2015 but did not run for re-election in 2019. The businessman is currently the Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors of Baylis Medical Technologies, which his mother founded in the early 1980s. He was president of the company, which develops, manufactures and sells medical devices, from 1989 to 2015.

MP Jamie Battiste

Sydney-Victoria MP Jaime Battiste announced on social media Monday that he is forming an exploratory team to consider running to replace Justin Trudeau and become the first Indigenous leader of a major political party in Canada.

The lawyer, former professor and Assembly of First Nations regional chief says someone has to be the first First Nations person to throw their hat in the ring, and that if nothing else he hopes he can inspire people and get them excited about Indigenous candidates.

WHO’S OUT

MP Dominic LeBlanc

The Minister of Finance and Intergovernmental Affairs said that despite receiving encouragement to make a run at the leadership, threats of a looming trade war being launched by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump requires “nothing less than my full attention.”

MP Mélanie Joly

The Foreign Affairs Minister said that while she’s ready to become the first female leader of the Liberal party, she’s not willing to leave her cabinet posting at a “crucial time” for Canada-U. S. relations.

MP Anita Anand

The Transport and Internal Trade Minister says she plans to return to a professional life of teaching, research and public policy analyses.

MP Steven MacKinnon

The Labour Minister cited the short length of this leadership race which wouldn’t allow him to mount the kind of campaign he wants to run.

Christy Clark

Former B.C. premier Christy Clark confirmed she will not run for the federal Liberal leadership. In a statement, Clark said “there is simply not enough time” to put together a successful campaign.

Clark previously said she was “very seriously” considering a leadership bid but expressed disappointment with the short timeline for the race.

She was the 35th premier of B.C. from 2011 to 2017 and was the first woman to be elected premier of the province.

MP François-Philippe Champagne

MP François-Philippe Champagne, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, announced he won’t be running in the leadership race, saying he plans to remain focused on his current job.

He previously told 680News Radio Toronto that he was “considering a run and is speaking with people.” He added that he was waiting for the rules surrounding the leadership race to be decided.

Champagne has been a Member of Parliament since he was elected to the riding of Saint-Maurice—Champlain in 2015. He first joined Trudeau’s cabinet in 2017 when he became the Minister of International Trade, then moved to the Ministry of Infrastructure and Communities.

The Quebec MP was the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2019 to 2021 before becoming the Industry Minister following a cabinet shuffle.

This list will be updated as more candidates express interest in running.