Voting begins for new federal NDP leader

young Democrats put up start cast their voter turnout online and by mail today for a new federal leader, with five candidates vying for the job to replace Jagmeet Singh.

The NDP says its membership has increased to approximately 100,000 people, up from 60,000 in September 2025, when the leadership race began.

"That gives me hope that despite the election result, the NDP is here to stay," said Mélanie Richer, the NDP's former director of communications. 

"This is an opportunity for the membership to decide not only who the next leader is going to be, but what the future of the party is going to look like," she said.

The NDP is looking to rebuild following a devastating loss in the federal election last spring that saw the party lose official party status in the House of Commons. Only seven MPs maintained their seats, with then-leader Jagmeet Singh failing to win his own riding and stepping down.

Nearly a year later, the New Democrats continue to poll between 5 and 10 per cent, which is near the same level they did on election night, according to Éric Grenier, a polls analyst with TheWrit.ca.

Rebuilding the party will be a "monumental" task for a new leader, since members have so far to come back from, Grenier said.

"The biggest challenge for the NDP is simply to get relevant again," Grenier said. 

Richer said to do that, the next leader will need to not just appeal to New Democrat members, but other Canadians too.

"If you're not able to speak to people who don't hold a membership card, you're not going to get us any further ahead."

While Richer said she's yet to make up her mind who she'll support, she said one of the front-runners, Heather McPherson, would have an advantage as the only member of Parliament in the race.

"I understand the reality that people are facing right now," she said. "I don't come from a political family."

"We don't need a show right now. We need a serious party that can get to work and that can do the job of holding this government accountable on day one," McPherson said.

NDP leadership hopefuls hold final debate before members vote

Last week, fellow front-runner Avi Lewis told reporters that he wasn't focused on winning a seat in the House of Commons if he becomes leader, particularly since the New Democrats have such a small footprint in Ottawa right now.

"The new leader has to get in there, actually look at the books, find out what the debt is, figure out how to be election ready as quickly as possible," Lewis said.

"There's a transition that is more important."

Lewis ran unsuccessfully twice for the federal NDP. Despite never holding public office, his grandfather David Lewis was the federal NDP leader in the 1970s, while his father Stephen Lewis, led the Ontario NDP.

Richer said she saw the pitfalls firsthand of not having a leader who had a seat in the House of Commons, when Singh became leader but didn't get a seat for well over a year.

"Not being completely plugged in to the day-to-day stuff makes it really hard, because you're taking too long to respond. And then you're no longer in the news cycle and no longer relevant as it relates to people," Richer said.

Other candidates include Rob Ashton, a dockworker and union leader. Ashton has pitched himself as the person to help the NDP bring back more labour and working class voters. He's racked up a considerable number of endorsements from unions, including United Steelworkers and United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), along with the president of the Canadian Labour Congress, Bea Bruske.

Tanille Johnston, a social worker, city councillor, and member of the We Wai Kai First Nation, is the youngest in the race, pitching herself as a fresh and new voice for the future of the NDP. She's the first Indigenous woman to seek the top job with the federal New Democrats. 

Tony McQuail, known for the distinct straw hat he wore during the debates, is an organic farmer from southwestern Ontario who says the party needs to take a holistic approach to policies, including tackling the climate crisis.

Voting continues until the NDP's convention in Winnipeg and the end of March, when the five candidates will have a final chance to pitch themselves to supporters. (Voting will also occur in-person at the venue.)

The new leader will be announced March 29.

Journalist

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