The rules are still being set for the race to replace Justin Trudeau, but one rumoured contender has taken his name out of the running.
Dominic LeBlanc, named finance minister last month following Chrystia Freeland’s abrupt resignation, announced Wednesday morning that he will not be a candidate in the impending Liberal Party of Canada race.
“While I am extremely grateful for the encouragement and the expressions of support I have received from caucus colleagues and Liberals across the country, I have decided not to be a candidate in the Liberal Party of Canada’s upcoming leadership race,” LeBlanc said on X.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Monday that he would be resigning as Liberal leader and prime minister following a Liberal leadership race. He also had the Governor General prorogue Parliament until Mar. 24 to allow the Liberals time to run a contest.
Trudeau announced his resignation after facing an increasing number of Liberal caucus members who said they had no faith in him to win another election.
Before replacing Freeland as finance minister, LeBlanc had been the minister of public safety since July 2023.
LeBlanc said as U.S.-Canada relations reach a crossroads – with Canada staring down the barrel of 25% tariffs on all imported goods and President-elect Donald Trump threatening “economic force” against Canada in a bid to annex it – he will focus his energy on his current cabinet roles.
“The threat these tariffs pose to our nation’s economic well-being and to the livelihood of a countless number of Canadian families cannot be understated – and as such, it requires nothing less than my full attention,” LeBlanc.
Though he won’t be a candidate in the Liberal leadership race, LeBlanc announced that he will be a candidate in his New Brunswick riding of Beauséjour in the next federal election.
Frank Baylis, a former MP for Pierrefonds—Dollard, is the first and only candidate to announce his candidacy for the Liberal leadership officially. Baylis served as a member of Parliament from 2015 to 2019.
