Avi Lewis inherits a fractured NDP and a fight for party status

Elections & Conventions Mar 29, 2026

In a packed hall at the RBC Convention Centre, the New Democratic Party of Canada (NDP) has officially chosen Avi Lewis to lead the party into a new and uncertain chapter. After a six-month race that took candidates from coast to coast, the results were announced this morning, marking the end of Don Davies' interim leadership and the formal transition from the Jagmeet Singh era.

Winning with 56% of the vote, Lewis emerged victorious over a diverse field that included Edmonton MP Heather McPherson, union leader Rob Ashton, and grassroots candidates Tanille Johnston and Tony McQuail.

Following the 2025 federal election, which saw former leader Jagmeet Singh resign after the NDP fell to a historic low of seven seats and lost official party status, the primary question of this race was simple: how does the NDP become relevant again?

A Daunting Inbox

Lewis inherits a caucus of only six MPs following the floor-crossing of Nunavut's Lori Idlout to the Carney Liberals earlier this year. With no official party status, the NDP currently lacks the guaranteed funding, committee seats, and research staff that usually define a federal party's operations in Ottawa. The honeymoon for the new NDP leader will be exceptionally short.

Recent polling from the Angus Reid Institute highlights the steep climb ahead. Data released just days ago by the Angus Reid Institute suggests that 44% of past NDP voters didn't recognize any of the leadership candidates, and 40% believe the party's best days are behind it.

The first test for Lewis will be a series of upcoming by-elections, including the high-profile races in University—Rosedale, Scarborough Southwest, and Terrabonne scheduled for April 13. With Prime Minister Mark Carney's Liberals maintaining a huge lead in the Toronto-area ridings, New Democrats will need to quickly translate convention energy into ballot-box momentum.

As the delegates leave Winnipeg, the narrative is clear: the NDP has a new face and a new direction. Whether that is enough to stave off irrelevance and regain its status as a federal power player remains the defining question of Canadian politics in 2026.