Liberals Prefer Mark Carney Over Chrystia Freeland as Next Leader, Poll Suggests

Liberals Prefer Mark Carney Over Chrystia Freeland as Next Leader, Poll Suggests
Former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney leaves after speaking to reporters at the Liberal caucus retreat in Nanaimo, B.C., on Sept. 10, 2024. The Canadian Press/Darryl Dyck
The Canadian Press
Updated:

A new poll suggests that Liberal supporters prefer Mark Carney as their next leader over a field of potential candidates.

Polling firm Leger surveyed around 1,500 people over the weekend, asking who they think should replace Justin Trudeau as leader of the governing party.

The survey included a number of people who have dropped out of the race or decided not to run, including Anita Anand, Steve MacKinnon, Christy Clark and François-Philippe Champagne.

Carney had the support of 27 percent of Liberal voters, while Chrystia Freeland was second with 21 percent and Clark was a distant third at six percent.

Carney and Freeland were almost tied among all of the poll’s respondents, with Freeland one point ahead at 14 percent.

Neither Carney nor Freeland has officially entered the race yet, though both are expected to make announcements this week.

Most of the people surveyed—46 percent overall, and 30 percent of Liberal voters—said they don’t know who the party’s next leader should be.