As Trudeau is ready to step down, Canada’s Liberal Party will elect a new leader on March 9

On March 9, the Liberal Party of Canada will choose a new leader as Justin Trudeau gets ready to leave power after nine years.

As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau gets ready to leave office after nine years, the Liberal Party of Canada has declared that it will choose a new leader on March 9, 2025. Party members have been putting increasing pressure on Trudeau, who announced his resignation earlier this week, over the Liberals’ poor pre-election polling results.

Even though he resigned, Trudeau will remain party leader and prime minister until a replacement is selected. “The Liberal Party of Canada will select a new leader on March 9 and be prepared to fight and win the 2025 election following a strong and safe nationwide process,” the party stated in a statement.

To establish the preliminary guidelines for the leadership contest, the National Board of Directors of the party met on Thursday. On March 9, the new leader will be named following the conclusion of the leadership poll.

Candidates must pay a C$350,000 (about $243,000 USD) admission fee in order to compete. In order to be eligible to vote in the leadership race, Canadians must register as Liberal Party members by January 27.

Prominent individuals including former Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland and former central banker Mark Carney are anticipated to run, according to “The Globe and Mail.” It is yet unknown, though, if Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne or Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly would enter the competition.

In order to postpone any prospective election until at least May 2025, Trudeau also said that the Canadian parliament would be prorogued until March 24. He will continue to handle important issues in the interim, such as managing conflicts with Donald Trump, the president-elect of the United States, who assumes office on January 20.

Trump has called Canada a US state and suggested imposing tariffs on Canadian imports, which Trudeau has dismissed as impractical. Earlier this week, Trudeau said, “There is absolutely no possibility that Canada would join the United States.”

October 20, 2025, is the date of the next federal election, however the Liberal Party will encounter several obstacles. The opposition Conservatives now hold a significant lead in the polls as a result of growing voter annoyance about exorbitant costs and a shortage of reasonably priced housing. Regardless of who is in charge of the party, analysts predict the Liberals will lose badly.

Prior to the crucial 2025 elections, the future Liberal leader will have the difficult task of reviving the party and winning back the confidence of Canadian voters as Trudeau gets ready to hand over the reins.