Ontario Liberals to pick byelection candidate in heated race

Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith speaks to reporters ahead of a Liberal caucus meeting on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby

TORONTO — Ontario Liberal members in the riding of Scarborough Southwest are set to select their candidate today for an upcoming byelection.

Nomination races don’t often generate a lot of attention outside the party, but today’s vote marks a clear first test for one leadership hopeful.

Liberal MP Nate Erskine-Smith, who currently represents the neighbouring riding of Beaches-East York, has made no secret of wanting to run a second time for the leadership of the Ontario Liberal Party.

He previously ran for that post in 2023 in a contest that ultimately saw him come second to Bonnie Crombie, but after she resigned earlier this year, the job is now vacant again.

Erskine-Smith says the upcoming byelection in Scarborough Southwest could allow him to try for a seat, but some of his fellow nomination contestants are bristling at what they see as a candidate trying to use their community as a springboard.

Qadira Jackson, who ran for the Liberals in Scarborough Southwest in last year’s provincial election, says she and another candidate have agreed to place each other second on their ranked ballots to help ensure the winning candidate is local.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 9, 2026.

Allison Jones, The Canadian Press