More than 100, 000 New Democrats began voting Monday to select the party’s next leader, and contender avi lewis is a central figure after breaking the leadership fundraising record with more than $1. 2 million. The vote now moves the race toward its March 29 finish and tests whether recent membership gains will translate into sustained momentum.
NDP members start voting
More than 100, 000 New Democrats started voting Monday in the leadership contest, a process that will conclude on March 29. Party figures show membership rose by roughly 40, 000 since the race began in September, and one Ottawa rally drew about 800 people, signaling energized turnout for some candidates.
The pattern suggests the surge in membership has already produced immediate mobilization rather than slow, incremental engagement, because the vote launched with an expanded base and events large enough to register in local rally counts.
Avi Lewis fundraising record
Avi Lewis has broken the party’s leadership fundraising record, collecting more than $1. 2 million while campaigning in places such as Peterborough and Ottawa; a March 6, 2026 photo shows him hugging a supporter in Peterborough. At an Ottawa rally he criticized the Liberals and Conservatives for prioritizing resource extraction and military investment over policies like public options for groceries and telecoms and a “green new deal. “
The figures point to Lewis building both financial and grassroots momentum that could offset the NDP’s limited parliamentary presence of seven seats, because record fundraising and notable rally sizes provide resources and visibility that the party’s small caucus cannot supply alone.
March 29 leadership finish
The contest pits Avi Lewis against Edmonton MP Heather McPherson, labour leader Rob Ashton, social worker Tanille Johnston and farmer Tony McQuail, and will end on March 29. Despite the membership gains and fundraising, the party still holds just seven seats in Parliament and faces stagnating poll results while the Liberals enjoy broad approval ratings under Prime Minister Mark Carney.
For now, the central unresolved question is how the five contenders will translate membership growth into broader electoral recovery; if candidates present concrete plans to win back past supporters and address the party’s structural challenges, the data suggests the race could reset the NDP’s trajectory, and that outcome will be decided with the vote that closes on March 29.
