As the New Democratic Party leadership race draws to a close, the five candidates vying for the top spot made their last appeals to party members at the NDP convention in Winnipeg on Saturday. The vote, which concludes Saturday, will determine who replaces Jagmeet Singh, who resigned after the 2025 election. The new leader will be announced on Sunday.
The candidates—Avi Lewis, Heather McPherson, Rob Ashton, Tanille Johnston, and Tony McQuail—each took to the stage to outline their visions for the party's future. Avi Lewis, a documentary filmmaker and activist, has campaigned on bold ideas such as publicly owned grocery stores and aggressive climate action. He was introduced by Winnipeg-Centre MP Leah Gazan and his wife, author Naomi Klein. Lewis emphasized the need for solutions as big as the crises Canada faces, promoting policies like universal healthcare, free public transit, and tuition-free education.
Heather McPherson, a three-term MP for Edmonton-Strathcona, is positioning herself as an experienced politician who can unite the party and work with provincial branches to win more seats. Former Alberta Premier Rachel Notley endorsed McPherson, highlighting her ability to build for the long term through addition, not division. Rob Ashton, president of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, aims to bring the party back to its blue-collar roots with a labor-focused message. Tanille Johnston, a city councillor from Campbell River, B. C., is campaigning on making the party more accessible, especially in rural and remote areas. Tony McQuail, running on a Green Progressive platform, has centered his campaign around electoral reform, environmental regeneration, redistribution of wealth, and sustainable redesign.
The NDP leadership race has seen a reported surge in party membership to approximately 100,000. The results of the leadership race will be announced before noon on Sunday in Winnipeg.
