OTTAWA — Winnipeg MP Leah Gazan says she’s backing activist Avi Lewis as the NDP’s next leader, becoming the first of the party’s seven-member caucus to endorse a leadership candidate. Gazan said in a video released Thursday morning that Lewis was the right person to lead the party in a “critical moment” for Canada and the world. Gazan has been critical of Lewis’s moderate rival, Edmonton MP Heather McPherson. MP Charlie Angus earlier this week and has also been endorsed by Rachel Notley, the former NDP premier of Alberta. Lewis, McPherson and union leader Rob Ashton are considered the three frontrunners in the NDP leadership race, with the party’s next leader to be announced on Mar.

Source: National Post January 16, 2026 03:03 UTC