The race to replace Justin Trudeau after his Monday resignation announcement has begun in earnest, with a number of possible contenders weighing their chances ahead of a coming federal election later this year.
Here are eight potential candidates, in alphabetical order.
Anita Anand
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A lawyer and academic, she entered politics in the 2019 election, winning the seat of Oakville for the Liberals. Ms. Anand became public services and procurement minister after that election, and after the 2021 campaign, became minister of defence. In 2023, she was appointed President of the Treasury Board, and also assumed the Transport portfolio after the minister for the file resigned to run provincially. In December, her Treasury Board responsibilities were given to another minister and she retained the Transport position.
Mark Carney
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The former governor of both the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England, the potential for Mr. Carney to enter Canadian political life has been discussed for several years and as recently as this past fall. Renewed discussions about how to bring him into government were an element of Ms. Freeland’s decision to resign as finance minister in December. Mr. Carney is also the United Nations Special Envoy on Climate Action and Finance.
François-Philippe Champagne
Tijana Martin/The Canadian Press
Mr. Champagne was first elected in 2015 in the Quebec riding of Saint-Maurice–Champlain. Prior to entering politics, he was a lawyer. He became international trade minister in 2017, then foreign affairs minister in 2019. He is currently Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, a position he has held since 2021.
Christy Clark
DARRYL DYCK/The Canadian Press
The former leader of the BC Liberal Party, Ms. Clark was premier of that province from 2011 to 2017. Prior to entering politics, she worked as a broadcaster and writer in Vancouver. She was among those who called for Mr. Trudeau to resign after the Liberals lost a federal by-election in Toronto in June of 2024, a defeat that marked a turning-point moment for the Prime Minister’s leadership.
Following Trudeau’s resignation announcement, Ms. Clark tweeted that there is opportunity to grow the Liberal Party.
Sean Fraser
Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press
Former housing minister Sean Fraser announced in December that he would not seek re-election, citing a desire to spend more time in his Nova Scotia riding with his young children. In his news conference about his departure, he didn’t rule out a return to politics at some point and his name has long been in the mix as a potential replacement for Mr. Trudeau.
Chrystia Freeland
Blair Gable/Reuters
A former financial affairs journalist and author, Ms. Freeland was first elected in 2013. When the Liberals formed government in 2015, she was named minister for international trade. She became foreign affairs minister in 2017, and after the 2019 federal election was named deputy prime minister. In 2020, she became finance minister, a position she kept until she quit in a very public break with Mr. Trudeau in December. She is currently the MP for the Toronto riding of University-Rosedale.
Mélanie Joly
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Ms. Joly, a lawyer by training, entered federal politics in the 2015 campaign, winning the Montreal-area riding of Ahuntsic-Cartierville. Since her election, she has held four cabinet portfolios: heritage, tourism, economic development and Foreign Affairs, her current position.
Dominic LeBlanc
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Mr. LeBlanc has been an MP for a New Brunswick riding since 2000. He ran for leadership of the Liberal Party in 2008, one of the first candidates to declare his interest. He ultimately dropped out and backed Michael Ignatieff. He had held numerous cabinet positions in the Trudeau Liberal government, and was most recently appointed Finance Minister to replace Ms. Freeland.