Lewis received 56% of the vote.
With polls currently showing a large plurality of Canadians rallying behind the centrist Liberal Government led by Prime Minister Mark Carney, both the NDP and Conservatives face the challenge of deciding whether to also shift towards the centre, or to bet on base motivation.
Today, the federal NDP has bet its survival on energizing its base through a shift to the left by electing filmmaker and activist Avi Lewis as their next leader.
Lewis won 39,734 votes (56%) out of 70,930 valid votes cast, finishing far ahead of MP Heather McPherson, the only candidate in the race with a seat in the House of Commons.
Here are the full results:
Results of the First Ballot of the NDP 2026 Leadership Race:
Avi Lewis: 39,734 votes (56%)
Heather McPherson: 20,899 votes (29%)
Tanille Johnston: 5,159 votes (7%)
Rob Ashton: 4,193 votes (5.9%)
Tony McQuail: 945 votes (1%)
Additional information:
Electors: 100,542
Total votes cast: 70,934
Total valid votes: 70,930
Online votes: 68,754
Telephone votes: 1,252
Mail-in votes: 928
Spoiled ballots: 4
Turnout: 70.6%
The NDP bets on a shift to the left
Prime Minister Carney’s political success has been based in large part on moving the Liberals to the centre when compared to the Trudeau era. On the consumer carbon tax, defence spending, criminal justice, immigration, and in his approach to Canadian national identity and history, Carney has moved the Liberals to the centre ground of Canadian politics. Polls show a plurality of Canadians are supportive of this, with the Liberals eating into Conservative support in recent surveys. By electing Avi Lewis, who has called for a wealth tax, criticized Carney for raising defence spending, supports a public option for groceries, and calls for a Green New Deal for Canada, the NDP is betting that Carney’s relative shift to the right has created an opening for an even more left-wing NDP.
For Canada, a more left-wing NDP will be a test of whether Canadian centrism and liberalism, and Canada’s progress towards building a more dynamic economy, can hold up under sustained stress amid conflict in the Middle East and ongoing pressure on Canada and its democratic allies from an aggressive Trump Administration. A Canada that can resist the pressure to find easy scapegoats and that can adhere to rational economic policies even under pressure is a Canada that can become a prosperous and successful civilization.
Spencer Fernando
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