Liberals lagging well behind other parties on nominating candidates as election looms

Mark Carney, leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, speaks after being named the winner at the Liberal leadership event in Ottawa on Sunday, March 9, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

OTTAWA — With a federal election call expected any day now, the Liberal party is trailing well behind its rivals on nominating candidates.

The Conservatives have nominated 275 candidates out of 343 ridings, the NDP has 217 candidates and the Green Party has 208 — but the Liberal party has so far nominated just 185 candidates.

The Bloc Québécois, which only runs candidates in Quebec, has 42 announced candidates and 11 confirmed by nomination and says it plans to have a complete slate of 78 candidates when the election is called.

Prime Minister Mark Carney is widely expected to trigger an early election in the coming weeks or days.

The Liberal party has enjoyed a sharp rebound in the polls in recent months, driven by U.S. President Donald Trump’s frequent threats against Canada’s economy and sovereignty and Justin Trudeau’s dramatic exit from federal politics.

Carney is just days into the job after winning the Liberal leadership in a landslide a little more than a week ago and being sworn into office on Friday.

Anne McGrath, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh’s principal secretary, says the party is ready for an election and will have a full slate of candidates in “every riding from coast to coast to coast.”

In 2021, the party had 201 candidates when the campaign began.

With files from Kyle Duggan

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 18, 2025.

Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press