Thursday, March 19, 2026
ADVT 
National

Voting begins in NDP leadership race, Singh's successor to be named March 29

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 09 Mar, 2026 11:00 AM
  • Voting begins in NDP leadership race, Singh's successor to be named March 29

Voting began Monday in the federal NDP leadership race, with a March 28 deadline for party members to cast their votes.

A party official says 100,000 members are eligible to vote in the election.

In the 2017 leadership race, which was won by Jagmeet Singh on the first ballot, the party had just under 125,000 members eligible to vote.

During the 2012 leadership contest, won by Tom Mulcair, the party had more than 128,000 members eligible to vote.

There are five candidates in the current race: union leader Rob Ashton, social worker Tanille Johnston, filmmaker Avi Lewis, Alberta MP Heather McPherson and farmer Tony McQuail.

Lewis is far and away the fundraising leader in this race. Interim financial returns filed to Elections Canada show his campaign has collected more than $1.2 million from more than 10,000 contributors.

McPherson saw the second largest share of donations — about $560,000 from 3,800 contributors, based on her interim returns.

Ashton has raised just shy of $357,000 from about 2,000 donors. Returns for the Johnston and McQuail campaigns are not yet publicly available.

McQuail told The Canadian Press Monday that his campaign has raised about $150,000 from about 1,000 donors. He described the support as "incredibly generous."

The Liberal party said nearly 400,000 members were eligible to vote in the two-month-long 2025 leadership contest that made Mark Carney prime minister.

The Conservatives had 675,000 eligible voting members in the 2022 contest that ended with Pierre Poilievre as leader.

The results of the NDP leadership contest will be announced on March 29 during the party's annual convention in Winnipeg.

Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns

MORE National ARTICLES

CRA call centres offered too many taxpayers bad advice, auditor general says

CRA call centres offered too many taxpayers bad advice, auditor general says
The Canada Revenue Agency’s contact centres provided only five per cent of callers with quality tax help in June, the federal auditor general said in a report released Tuesday.

CRA call centres offered too many taxpayers bad advice, auditor general says

Montreal transit maintenance workers announce third strike, spanning most of November

Montreal transit maintenance workers announce third strike, spanning most of November
Maintenance employees with Montreal's public transit agency are going on strike for the month of November, their third walkout since June.

Montreal transit maintenance workers announce third strike, spanning most of November

Prime Minister Mark Carney ‘super pumped’ as Toronto Blue Jays return to World Series

Prime Minister Mark Carney ‘super pumped’ as Toronto Blue Jays return to World Series
Prime Minister Mark Carney says he’s “super pumped” about the Toronto Blue Jays’ dramatic comeback win over the Seattle Mariners that sent them back to the World Series.

Prime Minister Mark Carney ‘super pumped’ as Toronto Blue Jays return to World Series

LeBlanc says U.S.-Canada trade talks progressing but more work needs to be done

LeBlanc says U.S.-Canada trade talks progressing but more work needs to be done
Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc is pushing back on a report that suggests relief from U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs could be coming soon.

LeBlanc says U.S.-Canada trade talks progressing but more work needs to be done

CBC launches court fight to keep Gem subscriber numbers confidential

CBC launches court fight to keep Gem subscriber numbers confidential
CBC/Radio-Canada has filed an application in Federal Court to fight an order directing it to disclose subscriber numbers for its Gem streaming service.

CBC launches court fight to keep Gem subscriber numbers confidential

Senate bill sets guidelines for use of notwithstanding clause in federal laws

Senate bill sets guidelines for use of notwithstanding clause in federal laws
A bill introduced in the Senate seeks to set rules on how the federal government can adopt laws that override certain parts of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Senate bill sets guidelines for use of notwithstanding clause in federal laws