Avi Lewis has been appointed as the new leader of the Federation PKDnearing the close of a six-month leadership campaign.
The new leader won on the first ballot, receiving 56 percent of the total votes cast during the election, or 39,734 out of a possible 70,930.
“This is an incredible result,” Lewis said in his first comments after his win. “But even more important than the results of this leadership vote is the unity of our party.”
While people in the room applauded Lewis, the result did not generate universal praise.
Alberta Democratic Party leader Naheed Nenshi said in a post on X that getting Lewis federal leader “was not in Alberta’s best interest.”
Get daily national news
Get Canada’s daily news delivered to your inbox so you never miss the top news of the day.
“Albertans deserve federal leaders who understand the importance of Alberta and our essential role in the federation,” Nenshi wrote.
The election of a new leader came months after former party leader Jagmeet Singh said he would step down following the NDP’s landslide defeat in the 2025 federal election.
The party was down to seven seats in April 2025, but that number has dropped to six when Nunavut MP Lori Idlout switched to the Liberals earlier this month.
“If it’s not already clear, we’re building a new foundation for our party and we’re ready to return to the Canadian political scene,” Lewis said. “The return of the DPA starts now”.
Heather McPherson came in second with 20,899 votes, with Tanille Johnston, Rob Ashton and Tony McQuail third, fourth and fifth respectively.
Lewis went on to praise each of his fellow candidates, calling Johnston a “rising star” and saying McQuail reiterated the importance of changing the First Past the Post election system. He also said Ashton was “the real deal” and that workers were at the heart of the party, while adding that McPherson knows “how to win” and that she helps others win.
The new leader of the NDP continued to emphasize the party’s need to address the issues facing Canadians.
“Canadians are living on the border, we’re under the U.S. economy as Donald Trump stomps across the globe, hijacking foreign leaders and oil fields and starting wars he has no idea how to stop,” Lewis said. “At the kitchen table in Canada, there’s an even bigger crisis, the daily emergency of just trying to get by in an impossible economy.”
© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
