Few Canadians are familiar with possible NDP leadership contenders: poll

By Canadian Press on July 8, 2025.

OTTAWA — A new poll suggests most Canadians are unfamiliar with nine possible NDP leadership contenders.

A majority of respondents to the Research Co. poll said they “don’t know who the person is” when asked about possible candidates like current NDP MPs Leah Gazan, Gord Johns, Jenny Kwan and Heather McPherson.

The same goes for other high-profile New Democrats like former House leader Ruth Ellen Brosseau, former Vancouver mayor Kennedy Stewart and filmmaker Avi Lewis.

Brosseau got the most positive response in the poll, with 18 per cent of respondents saying they have a favourable view of her, while Kwan had the largest number of poll respondents saying they “definitely” or “probably” want to see her run for the leadership — a combined 22 per cent.

The poll is an online survey of 1,001 people conducted between June 30 and July 2.

The polling industry’s professional body, the Canadian Research Insights Council, says online surveys cannot be assigned a margin of error because they do not randomly sample the population.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 8, 2025.

David Baxter, The Canadian Press

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