The federal New Democratic Party is fighting for its political life this weekend at the RBC Convention Centre in Winnipeg. Following a devastating 2025 election collapse that stripped the party of its official status in the House of Commons, roughly 2,000 delegates are voting today to select a permanent replacement for interim leader Don Davies.
Filmmaker and activist Avi Lewis entered the convention widely viewed as the frontrunner among five official candidates. The leadership vote concludes today, Saturday, March 28. The winner is scheduled to be announced Sunday morning.
The search for a new leader comes at a desperate time for the party. Jagmeet Singh resigned last year after the 2025 federal election reduced the NDP to a mere seven Members of Parliament. That historic loss eliminated their parliamentary funding and influence. The crisis deepened just weeks ago. On March 11, Nunavut MP Lori Idlout crossed the floor to defect to Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberal Party. The NDP now holds just six seats.
Lewis is competing against four other contenders. The ballot includes Alberta MP Heather McPherson, union leader Rob Ashton, social worker Tanille Johnston, and farmer Tony McQuail. The core theme of the weekend forces members to decide whether to turn left or stay the course. The party is desperately seeking to rebuild relevancy as Carney’s Liberals absorb centrist momentum and federal Conservatives siphon off traditional working-class voters.
1/ What a way to kick off convention weekend in Winnipeg—a final rally that felt like a culmination of all the energy we’ve been building on this campaign since day one.
Grateful to the hundreds of supporters in the room, and to special friends for sharing the stage and their… pic.twitter.com/VyIx2a3Jw2
— Avi Lewis (@avilewis) March 27, 2026
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew delivered the opening address on Friday. He urged the party to prioritize practical platform issues like affordability and healthcare over massive ideological shifts. Kinew’s speech highlighted the intense debate within the party base.
Despite the recent parliamentary losses, the leadership race generated significant grassroots interest. The party’s membership base surged by nearly 70 percent since the race began. The NDP currently boasts roughly 100,000 registered members eligible to vote. This shifting reality in national politics leaves the party at a critical crossroads ahead of Sunday’s final announcement.