Leadership hopefuls clear final hurdle to run to replace Justin Trudeau

OTTAWA — The field of contenders to replace Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in just three weeks’ time appears to be set.

The campaigns for all five remaining candidates for the Liberal party leadership say they have delivered their final payments of $125,000 to the party, which were due Monday by 5 p.m.

That means each campaign shelled out $350,000 in entrance fees — a high bar for a short race.

Liberal spokesperson Parker Lund confirmed that Mark Carney, Chrystia Freeland, Frank Baylis, Ruby Dhalla and Karina Gould have all made their final payments.

Carney’s campaign boasted over the weekend it had raised a whopping $1.9 million so far.

The other candidates’ fundraising numbers are set to be published soon by Elections Canada. The agency said Monday evening that technical issues were delaying their release.

Carney is about to hit the fundraising circuit in southern Ontario, with four events scheduled for Woodbridge, Mississauga, Toronto and Brampton. He already has held fundraisers in Vancouver and Ottawa.

Dhalla has held just one fundraising event in Toronto, with a ticket price of $500.

Emily Jackson, a spokesperson for Gould’s campaign, said the campaign has not hosted any fundraiser events but it paid the entry fee early.

Freeland’s spokesperson Katherine Cuplinskas said her campaign is entering the finals weeks of the race debt-free.

“In the last 24 hours, Chrystia has raised $10,000, with the average donation being less than $200,” she said.

Justine McIntyre, a spokesperson for Baylis, said his campaign had been focused on fundraising ahead of the entry-fee payment deadline and had been reaching out to Liberals across the country at events in the Toronto area, B.C. and Ottawa.

“We handily met the last LPC deposit requirements with donors and support from across the country. Our donor base is both big and wide, and there’s a growing sense that Liberals want an alternative to the people and ideas of old,” she said.

Baylis’ campaign said it is pivoting now to focus on releasing more policy statements and preparing for the upcoming debates.

The candidates are scheduled to square off in two debates early next week in Montreal, one in English and one in French.

The party selects its next leader on March 9.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 17, 2025.

Kyle Duggan, The Canadian Press