The heated battle to become the provincial Liberal candidate in Scarborough Southwest could have larger implications for who will be the party's next leader. Liberal MP Nate Erskine-Smith, who currently represents the neighbouring riding of Beaches-East York, is one of the candidates vying for the Scarborough Southwest provincial seat as a Liberal candidate.
Experts say if Erskine-Smith falls short in his bid to win the nomination on Saturday, his push to capture the party's top job could be over before it officially starts. "Not even winning the nomination, I think that will stick to him and make it harder for him to convince unconvinced Liberals that they should support him," said McMaster University political science professor Peter Graefe. "In a way, there will have been a bit of a vote of non-confidence in him by … the party members in Scarborough Southwest."
Erskine-Smith is running for the nomination as part of his second bid to become Ontario Liberal leader. He finished a strong second to former leader Bonnie Crombie in the 2023 race and was a vocal critic of her ahead of the review that led to her resignation last September.
The party faces challenges in winning seats without a leader with legislative representation. Both Crombie and previous Liberal leader Steven Del Duca did not have seats in the legislature after winning the job and failed to win them in subsequent elections.
