OTTAWA — The federal New Democrats will select their new leader in March 2026 following a six-month leadership race this fall, where contenders will have to submit a $100,000 entry fee, according to a source familiar with the decision.
The details come as the party’s federal executive and council met to discuss the upcoming race, which will begin in September.
The NDP’s top job opened up when former party leader
Jagmeet Singh stepped down after losing his seat in the April 28 federal election
, which delivered the party its worst electoral defeat yet.
The federal New Democrats were reduced to seven seats in the House of Commons, down from their previous 24.
Rebuilding the party is set to be the first order of business for the new leader, which will be no easy task considering the federal NDP is strapped for cash after the election,
with hundreds of candidates failing to crack 10 per cent or more of the votes needed to qualify for campaign reimbursements from Elections Canada.
That likely means it will lose out on millions of dollars, in addition to the millions of dollars in government staff and research funds the party stopped receiving after it failed to win enough seats for official party status.
The upcoming race will be a critical way for the party to raise money, reconnect with party members, as well as draw in new supporters.
Recently, the NDP announced that human rights and labour lawyer
Emilie Taman, who has previously run as a candidate for the party, will steer its 2025 election review.
It has committed to sharing the results of the review with party members before the end of the year.
Interim NDP Leader Don Davies will lead the party’s six-member caucus until a new leader is chosen.
Edmonton NDP MP Heather McPherson, who is believed to be considering a leadership run,
recently posted a video to Facebook
, saying she wanted to hear about how the party needs to change.
“The last election was a wake-up call,” she said in the short video shared on July 7.
“The NDP played it safe. We were neutral in a moment that demanded leadership. We stayed on the sidelines while people were asking us for solutions. And as a result, we lost trust.”
Former longtime NDP MP Charlie Angus, who did not seek re-election this year but has hosted news conferences on Parliament Hill since the election, has said he does not plan to run for the leadership but called the last election
“an unmitigated disaster” for the party.
Angus said New Democrat supporters felt the party was too “leader-focused” and as a result lost touch with the grassroots. He also underscored the need to rebuild the party.
National Post
staylor@postmedia.com
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