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

Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada Justin Trudeau speaks during a Liberal Party of Canada fundraiser in Ottawa, on Monday, June 10, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby The Canadian Press

By Meredith Bond and The Canadian Press

Posted January 7, 2025 4:11 pm.

Last Updated January 12, 2025 1:32 pm.

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

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.

WHO’S CONSIDERING

Mark Carney

Former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney issued a statement saying he is encouraged by the support he has heard and that he’s considering his decision with family over the next few days.

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 and even called for him to appear at a parliamentary committee in April so they could grill him about his plans for government economic and fiscal policy.

MP François-Philippe Champagne

MP François-Philippe Champagne, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, confirmed to 680News Radio Toronto that he is “considering a run and is speaking with people.” He added that he is 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.

House Leader Karina Gould

House Leader Karina Gould is seriously considering running, people close to Gould tell 680News Radio.

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.

Christy Clark

The former British Columbia premier has said she is “very seriously” considering a leadership bid but expressed disappointment with the short timeline for the race.

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

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.