Former Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland has announced she will enter the Liberal leadership race.
In a sparsely worded post on social media platform X, the former cabinet minister said simply that she is “running to fight for Canada.”
The official launch of his campaign will be on Sunday, but the publication did not provide details on where or where it will take place.
Freeland’s announcement comes a day after former Bank of Canada and Bank of England Governor Mark Carney announced his candidacy for party leadership at an event in Edmonton.
So far, two cabinet ministers have publicly expressed support for Freeland: Health Minister Mark Holland, who represents Ajax Ontario, and Diane Lebouthlier, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and MP for Gaspésie-Les Îles-de-la -Madeleine in Quebec.
However, most ministers have not weighed in on who they might support in a leadership bid.
Other public supporters of Freeland include Rob Oliphant, James Maloney, Leah Taylor Roy, Julie Dabrusin and Lloyd Longfield of Ontario; Alexandra Mendès and Anthony Housefather of Quebec; Ken McDonald of Newfoundland and Labrador; Lena Diab of Nova Scotia; Ken Hardie of British Columbia; Ben Carr of Manitoba and former Tourism Minister Randy Boissonnault of Alberta, who left his cabinet post amid controversy surrounding questions about false claims about Métis heritage.
The party’s Ontario Liberal caucus chair, Michael Coteau, joined that list Friday morning, posting on X that he’s proud to support the former cabinet minister.
“Having worked with her, I have seen firsthand her dedication, compassion and ability to navigate difficult challenges,” Coteau said.
“Chrystia has the skills, experience and heart to lead Canada through these difficult times,” he added.
