Voting for the New Democratic Party leadership begins today, with a March 28 deadline for party members to cast their vote.
Five candidates are running to replace Don Davies, who has been serving as interim leader since 2025, after Jagmeet Singh stepped down after losing his seat in last year’s federal election.
The five hopefuls vying for the leadership seat are: Avi Lewis, Rob Ashton, Tanille Johnston, Heather McPherson, and Tony McQuail.
In a statement to Now Toronto, the NDP’s national director Lucy Watson writes that there are “approximately 100,000 members who will have an opportunity to vote for their choice as new leader.” This number is a significant increase from the 60,000 members that joined at the beginning of the campaign.
“We are glad to see such excitement from progressive Canadians eager to be part of the conversation taking place about the future direction of the party”
Here is a rundown of each candidate’s platforms.
Avi Lewis
Born and raised in Toronto, Avi Lewis is the current favourite in the leadership race, having raised more than $1.2 million since September 2025. Lewis is a descendent of the Lewis political family, with both his father and grandfather serving as leaders of the Ontario and federal NDP, respectively. Before running for NDP leadership, he worked as a journalist for CityTV, CBC News, MuchMusic, and Al Jazeera English.
Lewis pledges to rebuild the NDP stronger by making political education and policy development more accessible and winning the suburbs. He also wants to abolish First Past the Post and fight the cost of living crisis, the housing crisis, the lack of jobs, climate change, and the United State’s constant attack on Canada’s sovereignty.
Rob Ashton
Rob Ashton, from Port Coquitlam, B.C., is a dockworker, a lifelong union member, and the president of the International Longshore Workers Union. He states he’s foremost a worker, not a politician. Ashton is focused on three main issues in his bid for NDP leader: housing, protecting workers, and jobs.
He pledges to triple public and not-for-profit housing, crack down on corporate landlords, make it easier to join unions, revamp the temporary foreign worker program, and deliver jobs for everyone, among other promises.
Tanille Johnston
Tanille Johnston is the first Indigenous woman to seek NDP leadership in the party’s history. Born and raised in Campbell River, B.C., she is a Liǧʷiłdax̌ʷ woman from the We Wai Kai First Nation. Before seeking party leadership, Johnston successfully ran for a councillor seat on the Campbell River City Council. Then, in the 2025 federal election, she ran for MP for North Island—Powell River.
Her campaign pledges include establishing a universal basic income, increasing the wealth and corporate tax rates, implementing a nurse-to-patient ratio, making college free for “caring professions,” lowering the voting age to 16, ending First Past the Post, investing in Indigenous communities, and enacting strong rules for AI data centres. Johnston is the youngest in the race.
Heather McPherson
Also a favourite, Edmonton-based Heather McPherson is the only candidate who is a sitting MP. She’s represented the Edmonton Strathcona riding since 2019. In both the 2021 and federal elections, her riding has earned the highest percentage of the NDP vote.
McPherson’s policy platform includes a national housing emergency plan, plans to reform the NDP party with more member power and transparency, support to help young people find jobs, and investment in renewable energy projects.
Tony McQuail
Among the five candidates, Tony McQuail is both the oldest and the only one born outside of Canada. Hailing from Pennsylvania, he emigrated to Canada in 1971 to Huron County, Ont. and founded Meeting Place Organic Farm, becoming a pioneer in sustainable agriculture and rural development.
McQuail’s campaign focuses on the four Rs: representation, regeneration, redistribution, and redesign. He promises to deliver proportional representation, regenerate inactive industrial sites, roadsides and backyards, redistribute wealth through establishing a universal basic income, and redesign housing to be affordable, communal, and sustainable.
