NDP releases official rules for leadership race to replace Singh

OTTAWA — The NDP has released the official rules for its leadership race — and they’re telling candidates they must gather specific numbers of signatures from supporters in diverse regional, racial and LGBTQ+ groups.

Alberta NDP MP Heather McPherson said Friday she is “considering” entering the race.

“I’ve certainly had lots of folks ask me to, and that’s a pretty humbling experience. But we have not made a decision yet,” McPherson said in an interview with The Canadian Press.

Leadership candidates must collect at least 500 signatures each to enter the race. No more than 50 per cent of those signatures can come from non-transgender men, the party says.

At least 100 signatures collected by each candidate must come from people in “equity-seeking groups,” which include party members who are LGBTQ+, Indigenous or racialized, or those who live with a disability, the party says.

At least 10 per cent of a candidate’s signatures must come from young New Democrats aged 25 years or under.

Candidates must also collect at least 50 signatures apiece from each of five different regions in Canada — the Atlantic, Quebec, Ontario, the Prairies, and B.C. and the North.

The cutoff date for people to become a party member and vote in the leadership is Jan. 28, 2026.

The NDP lost recognized party status in the April 28 election and is looking for candidates able to gather support in all areas of the country.

The NDP currently holds three seats representing B.C. in the House of Commons, one in Alberta, one in Manitoba, one in Quebec and the sole Nunavut seat.

McPherson said she’s spent the last few weeks travelling the country speaking with party members about how the NDP should rebuild.

“I think we needed a simpler message. We needed to speaking to people about the things that matter most, and that is things like affordability,” she said.

She said the party could propose making federal housing funding for provinces conditional on introducing rent control.

McPherson said the party lost touch with its working-class base, which led to the loss of its Ontario foothold in manufacturing centres like Hamilton and Windsor.

“Realistically, there is no path for the NDP that doesn’t involve regaining those seats in Hamilton, regaining the seats in London and Windsor, and that starts with talking to these people,” she said.

“I think in a lot of ways, we stopped talking to workers, and I think that needs to change. We need to be speaking to people directly.”

The party launched a “review and renewal” process earlier this month to gather feedback from members about how the party can recover from its devastating loss on April 28.

A new permanent leader to replace Jagmeet Singh will be chosen through a ranked ballot vote, allowing party members to rank candidates in order of preference. The winner will be chosen through a simple majority.

If no candidate secures a majority of support on the first ballot, then the lowest ranked candidate will be eliminated and their support will be redistributed. This process continues until someone wins more than 50 per cent of the vote.

The party announced earlier this month that candidates will be required to pay a $100,000 entry fee.

There are four fee collection deadlines and candidates will need to submit $25,000 each time.

Candidates must also submit a non-refundable $1,500 vetting fee.

The party will hold two debates, in both official languages, which will be streamed online.

McPherson said she is working on her French and it is a “huge priority.”

The party also outlined a number of rules prohibiting candidates from working with or receiving financial support from third parties.

The official campaign kicks off in September and the final vote will be sometime in late March, when the party holds its convention in Winnipeg.

Montreal-based writer and activist Yves Engler and Ontario farmer Tony McQuail have said they plan to enter the race.

B.C. MP Don Davies is serving as interim leader.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 25, 2025.

David Baxter, The Canadian Press