OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney is expected to launch a federal election campaign on Sunday and send Canadians to the polls as soon as April 28.
While sources would not confirm the date of the vote, federal campaigns must run at least 37 days.
Former prime minister Justin Trudeau prorogued Parliament in January and it is supposed to return on March 24.
But Carney is expected to ask Gov. Gen. Mary Simon to dissolve Parliament the day before, on March 23.
Under Canada’s fixed date law for elections the vote — Canada’s 45th — can take place no later than Oct. 20 but it can be called earlier.
The election comes at an opportune time for Carney’s Liberals, who — for the first time since 2022 — have surpassed the Conservatives in several polls. The Liberals’ polling resurgence is being driven in large part by Canadians’ anxieties about the Trump administration in the U.S.
The parties have been busy nominating candidates and organizing leaders’ tours; to date, the Liberals have nominated only about half of a full slate of candidates. The Conservatives, NDP and Green Party each have nominated candidates in more than 200 of the 343 ridings.
The Conservatives have a sizable war chest for the election after a banner fundraising year, having raised almost $41.8 million in 2024.
The Liberals raised about $15.2 million and the NDP took in close to $6.3 million in donations over 2024 — though the Liberals are likely to see a sizable influx of cash in the wake of their leadership race, which saw Carney alone raise more than $4.5 million in less than two months.
Carney was elected as Liberal leader to succeed Trudeau on March 9 and was sworn in as prime minister along with his new cabinet on March 14.
He made his first trip abroad this week, visiting France and the U.K. to send a statement about Canada’s trade and security alliances, before making a stop in Iqaluit to assert Canada’s sovereignty in the face of U.S. President Donald Trump’s annexation threats.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 20, 2025.
Nick Murray, The Canadian Press
