The five people aiming to take over leadership of the Ontario Liberal Party will face off in their first debate on Monday evening.
Online voting for the new leader will begin Nov. 9 and end on Nov. 20 with the winner being chosen on Nov. 21.
Here are more details on the candidates:
Navdeep Bains
Navdeep Bains will be making the jump from federal to provincial politics as he vies to lead the Ontario Liberal Party.
Bains served as the Member of Parliament for Mississauga-Brampton South from 2004 and 2011. After losing in the 2011 election, he returned to the House of Commons in 2015 in the new riding Mississauga-Malton.
In former prime minister Justin Trudeau’s cabinet, he was the Master of Innovation, Science and Industry from 2015 until his retirement from federal politics in 2021.
He then worked as the Chief Corporate Affairs Officer for Rogers Communications before resigning to run for Liberal leader.
The main theme of his campaign has been restoring the promise Ontario was built on. “If you showed up, worked hard, and played by the rules, you could build a good life here. A secure, well-paying job. A home you can afford in communities that are safe, with strong reliable public services.”
Stephanie Bowman
Stephanie Bowman is one of two active Ontario Liberal MPPs running for the leadership and the most recent candidate to throw her name in the hat.
Bowman currently represents Don Valley West and has since she was elected in 2022, replacing former premier Kathleen Wynne in the riding. She is the Ontario Liberal Deputy House Leader and Finance Critic.
Before declaring her intention to be the leader on the Liberal Party, she was the campaign co-chair for Rob Cerjanec, the Ajax MPP who dropped out of the leadership race back in July.
Prior to joining public service, Bowman was an accountant and worked in finance for 25 years, including being on the board of the Bank of Canada.
She said she is running because Ontario lacks “responsible leadership, sound decision-making and a government focused on the people it serves.”
Lee Fairclough
The other Liberal MPP in the race is Lee Fairclough, who represents Etobicoke-Lakeshore.
Fairclough is a first-term MPP after defeating the incumbent back in 2025, the same candidate she narrowly lost to in the 2022 Ontario election. She serves as the Liberal critic on addictions and homelessness, hospitals and mental health.
She previously was the president of St. Mary’s General Hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic after starting her career as a radiation therapist at Princess Margaret Hospital.
Coming from a health-care background, her campaign has emphasized rebuilding public trust and improving access to care across the province.
Eric Lombardi
Housing advocate Eric Lombardi is new to the political scene, aiming high with his first campaign.
Lombardi founded More Neighbours Toronto in 2021 that works towards housing zoning reform. He later became the chair of Build Toronto that works to drive policies that support Toronto’s growth and prosperity.
He has also worked with the Ontario Liberal Party to shape their housing platform.
Lombardi has released a fully-costed platform with 13 main initiatives that include helping young Ontarians, restoring the economy and building more homes.
“I am working to build an Ontario where people can once again afford a home, pursue a meaningful career, raise a family in security, and trust that public institutions actually work for them,” read his campaign website.
Dylan Marando
After nearly 15 years of working behind the scenes, political staffer Dylan Marando is putting himself forward as the next potential Ontario Liberal Leader.
Marando worked in former premier Dalton McGuinty’s office, Wynne’s office and Trudeau’s office.
“In the process, I’ve put a lot of tools in the toolbox, and now my team and I … are determined to use those tools to grow the party and beat Doug Ford and reinvigorate Queen’s Park,” Marando told Breakfast Television earlier this year.
During his time, Marando said he worked on public sector accountability reforms, progressive parental leave, tax cuts for small businesses, Canada’s National Housing Strategy, and $10-a-day child care.
After his work in politics, he joined a global medical technology company before deciding to run for the leadership.
Marando said he plans to run to be an MPP in the next provincial election whether or not he wins the Liberal leadership.
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With files from The Canadian Press
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