Following the party's poor election showing, several commentators and party members pointed to organizational and strategic shortcomings, including leadership fatigue, messaging issues, overreliance on social media and
identity politics, and difficulty balancing support between
urban progressives and
working-class voters. Some called for renewed grassroots engagement and stronger ties to
organized labour, while others suggested the creation of a New Progressive Party, possibly including closer cooperation or a merger with the
Green Party to consolidate progressive support. Failure to obtain over 10% of the vote in all but 46
ridings meant many candidates did not receive campaign reimbursements, exacerbating concerns about financial challenges. Internal disputes and a shrinking activist base further complicated the party's path forward ahead of the 2026 leadership race. Following Singh's announcement, political commentators suggested that several figures were likely candidates:
Alexandre Boulerice,
Nathan Cullen,
Leah Gazan,
Matthew Green,
Jenny Kwan,
Avi Lewis,
Heather McPherson,
Rachel Notley, and
Valérie Plante. In late August 2025, representatives on behalf of Lewis and McPherson began collecting signatures before the launch of the leadership election on September 2. Shortly before the first debate on November 27, he resumed fundraising. McQuail would again suspend fundraising on December 23, with him resuming on December 28. Lewis is also the son of former
Ontario NDP leader
Stephen Lewis and grandson of former federal NDP leader
David Lewis. His campaign launch was held in
Toronto. She announced her leadership bid on September 28, at an event in
Edmonton. During the campaign, she faced criticism due to her comments on "purity tests" in the party. On September 30, it was reported that McPherson had raised nearly $100,000, followed by Lewis with around $55,500, Ashton with around $25,000, and Johnston with around $1,700. Lewis reported having the most individual donors with 353, followed by McPherson with 231 and Ashton with 45. On October 1, Rob Ashton, president of the
International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada, announced his campaign in
Toronto. His campaign would notably be endorsed by the
United Steelworkers trade union. On October 8, Tanille Johnston,
city councillor in
Campbell River, announced her campaign in
Nanaimo. Johnston, a member of the
We Wai Kai First Nation, is the first Indigenous woman to seek the NDP leadership. The first all-candidates forum took place in
Nanaimo on October 16, with Rob Ashton and Tanille Johnston attending in person, and the other candidates speaking via Zoom. The
Canadian Labour Congress hosted the first fully in-person forum on October 22, in
Ottawa. Ashton, Lewis, and McPherson gathered in
Ottawa for the
Douglas Coldwell Layton Foundation leadership forum on October 28, while McQuail and Johnston attended virtually. On November 22, all the candidates, except Tony McQuail, gathered virtually in
Gibsons for a leadership forum. The debate was noted for none of the candidates being fluent in French, with most reading prepared French statements before switching to English. The debate was followed by an all-candidates forum hosted by the
Ontario NDP's northern caucus in December 2025, and a town hall hosted by the
Canadian Union of Public Employees on January 7, 2026. On January 10, the
Ontario New Democratic Youth hosted an in-person debate in
Toronto. The
Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East hosted a virtual debate on January 21, with all candidates except Ashton attending. Another forum was held in
Calgary, on February 12. The second official leadership debate took place in
New Westminster on February 19. The next day on February 20, an in-person debate was held in
Victoria. By the end of January 2026, it was reported that Lewis's campaign had raised over $1,000,000. On January 11, Ashton's campaign was criticized for
answering questions on
Reddit using
generative artificial intelligence, despite his criticism of the technology. He previously made headlines for stating that Lewis's style of leadership would "divide" the party. In March 2026, the party reported that its membership had risen to approximately 100,000 before the vote. On March 11, 2026,
Nunavut MP
Lori Idlout defected from the NDP to the
Liberal Party; she had previously appeared at a Lewis campaign event in Ottawa. On March 16, 2026, the
Toronto Star reported that McPherson's campaign had approached Ashton to form an electoral pact; Ashton's campaign declined the request. Tony McQuail and Tanille Johnston had previously cross endorsed each other. On March 28, a candidate showcase took place during the party's convention in Winnipeg, in the last event before the leadership announcement. Shortly before the end of the campaign, it was reported that Lewis had raised nearly $1.5 million with over 11,000 donors, followed by McPherson with over $700,000 and over 4,000 donors. Ashton raised nearly $400,000 with over 2,300 donors, Johnston raised nearly $200,000 with nearly 2,000 donors, and McQuail raised over $120,000 with over 1,000 donors. ==Timeline==