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Mark Carney Becomes Canada’s New Prime Minister as Liberals Win Historic Fourth Term
4-29-2025
OTTAWA — Mark Carney is set to become Canada’s 24th Prime Minister after leading the Liberal Party to a surprising fourth consecutive term in the 2025 federal election. While falling short of a majority, the Liberals outperformed expectations, fueled by voter concerns over rising nationalism from the U.S. and a significant collapse in support for the New Democratic Party (NDP).
According to Elections Canada, voter turnout reached 68.48%, the highest since 1993, with over 19.2 million Canadians casting ballots. This marked a sharp increase from the 62.6% turnout in the previous election.
Carney’s Rise and a Liberal Rebound
Once considered an outsider, Carney — a former governor of both the Bank of Canada and Bank of England — had never held elected office before taking over the Liberal leadership in January after Justin Trudeau’s resignation. But a disciplined campaign centered on defending Canadian sovereignty, economic competence, and standing firm against U.S. President Donald Trump’s antagonistic rhetoric helped turn the tide.
Carney’s “Canada Strong” message resonated deeply with voters, particularly in urban and suburban ridings like Nepean, where he claimed his own seat. His campaign benefited from a surge in patriotic sentiment after Trump, on election morning, repeated his claim that Canada would be better off as the “51st state.”
NDP Collapse and Singh’s Resignation
The election was devastating for the NDP. The party plummeted from 25 seats to just 7, losing official party status in the House of Commons. Leader Jagmeet Singh not only lost his own seat in Burnaby, B.C., but also announced his resignation, saying an interim leader would soon be appointed.
The collapse has been widely attributed to strategic voting among left-leaning Canadians, who opted for the Liberals to block a potential Conservative victory. The NDP’s 2022 supply-and-confidence agreement with the Liberals also blurred distinctions between the two parties, weakening Singh’s message.
Adding to the pressure, Singh was the focus of a multi-million dollar Conservative ad campaign branding him “Sellout Singh,” attacking his alignment with the Trudeau government. Though the exact cost remains undisclosed, the strategy appears to have contributed to voter defection.
Conservative Gains — and Poilievre’s Personal Loss
Despite gaining 24 new seats to reach 144, the Conservative Party, led by Pierre Poilievre, fell short of the 172 needed to form government. Poilievre, once seen as the frontrunner, lost his own seat in suburban Ottawa and faced backlash for what critics saw as divisive rhetoric and weak responses to Trump’s provocations.
Although the Conservatives made notable advances in Ontario, particularly in the Toronto suburbs, their national support eroded over the final months of the campaign. Poilievre has said he intends to stay on as leader, but his defeat in his home riding raises questions about the party’s direction.
Maxime Bernier, leader of the People's Party, also lost his seat, further consolidating the electoral landscape around the two major parties.
The New Political Landscape
The 2025 election marks a significant realignment in Canadian politics. The Liberals’ resurgence, fueled by moderate and strategic voters, came largely at the expense of the NDP, whose base splintered amid growing polarization.
What Comes Next
With a minority government, Carney will need to build consensus, but the election gave him a strong mandate to defend Canada’s autonomy and navigate complex economic challenges ahead — especially with a volatile U.S. administration next door.
Though still early days, one thing is clear: Canadian voters were motivated by more than party loyalty — they were driven by identity, sovereignty, and a desire for steady leadership in uncertain times.
The 45th Federal Election by the Numbers
• The 45th federal general election took place on Monday, April 28, 2025.
• To serve Canadians, Elections Canada opened 492 offices, hired some 230,000 people and offered around 7,200 advance and 65,000 election day voting desks in 343 electoral districts.
• Elections Canada's preliminary estimates indicate that 19,583,016 Canadians cast a ballot. This translates into a voter turnout rate of about 68.65%.
• Approximately:
• 11,062,539 voted at their polling station on election day or in their long-term care facility
• 7,280,975 voted at advance polls between Friday, April 18, and Monday, April 21
• 928,311 voted by special ballot from within their electoral district
• 215,057 voted by special ballot from outside their electoral district (includes deployed military personnel, inmates and electors who were in Canada but outside their electoral district)
• 57,440 electors living outside Canada voted by special ballot
• In the coming months, Elections Canada will finalize many of these estimated numbers and publish the Official Voting Results, along with other official reports.
• 16 registered parties were represented and 1,959 candidates were confirmed.
"I want to thank the some 230,000 people who helped deliver the election. Whether electors voted on election day or earlier at advance polls or by special ballot, election workers were there to serve them and to ensure that the integrity and secrecy of the vote was upheld."
—Stéphane Perrault, Chief Electoral Officer of Canada
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