Liberal MP Won’t Seek Re-election in Toronto Area Battleground Riding Where Tories Leading

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau makes a campaign stop in Newmarket, Ont., as Liberal candidate for Newmarket-Aurora Tony Van Bynen (R)looks on, on Oct. 13, 2019. The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick

Liberal MP Tony Van Bynen has announced he will not be seeking re-election in a Greater Toronto Area riding that’s expected to be contested between the Conservatives and Liberals in the next election.

“It has been an honour to serve the constituents of Newmarket-Aurora,” Mr. Van Bynen said in a March 11 press release.

“Public service is more than a career, it’s a calling, and my commitment to our community doesn’t end with retirement.”

Mr. Van Bynen, who was the mayor of Newmarket for 12 years before becoming an MP in 2019 and winning re-election in 2021, said he is proud of his party for its achievements. He cited the Canada Child Benefit, Canada Dental Plan, and its focus on climate policies.

The riding of Newmarket-Aurora is currently expected to be won by the federal Conservatives, who have been surging in the polls since Pierre Poilievre became its leader back in 2023. According to the latest 338Canada projection from March 2024, the Tories are sitting at 48 percent support in that riding, compared with the Liberals at 31 percent and NDP at 13 percent.

At the national level, the latest polls by 338Canada show the Conservatives with 42 percent of the vote, compared with the Liberals at 24 percent, NDP at 19 percent, and Bloc Québécois at 7 percent. If an election were to be held today, the Tories would win 210 seats, the Liberals would obtain 63 seats, the Bloc Québécois would get 37 seats, and the NDP would get 26 seats.

Several MPs Not Running for Re-election

By deciding not to run in the next election, set to be held in late 2025, Mr. Van Bynen has added his name to an expanding list of Liberal MPs who have also decided not to seek re-election. Over 12 Liberal MPs have announced they will not seek re-election.

These include three Liberal MPs who were previously Cabinet members: former Transportation Minister Omar Alghabra announced he will not seek re-election, while both former Mental Health and Addictions Minister Canada Carolyn Bennett and former Justice Minister David Lametti also announced they would be retiring as MPs. Mr. Alghabra, Ms. Bennett, and Mr. Lametti were all dropped from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Cabinet during a shuffle back in July 2023.

Former House Speaker Anthony Rota also announced he would not seek re-election. Mr. Rota, who had been speaker since 2019, was forced to resign from his position in September 2023 following an incident where he invited to Parliament and recognized a Nazi unit veteran during a visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Other Liberal MPs not seeking re-election include Helena Jaczek, Joyce Murray, Wayne Long, Lloyd Longfield, Emmanuel Dubourg, Ken Hardie, and Churence Rogers. Conservative MP Ron Liepert has said he will not run for re-election, while NDP MPs Randall Garrison, Richard Cannings, and Nathaniel Erskine-Smith have said the same. MP Alain Rayes, who was a Tory MP before switching to Independent, will also not run.