Ontario Liberal leadership race tightens as membership deadline passes Monday at 6 p.m.

The Ontario Liberal Party's membership registration closes today, Sept. 7, at 6 p.m., locking in the eligible voters for its November leadership race.

The party is electing its third leader since 2020 following Bonnie Crombie's resignation last fall. Crombie had received 57% support in a mandatory delegate review at a party gathering in Toronto before stepping down. Although the Liberals finished third in seat count in the snap provincial election Doug Ford won with a majority government, the party increased its share of popular vote under Crombie and won enough seats to regain official party status — restoring funding and resources.

Five contenders are seeking the leadership: Navdeep Bains, a former federal cabinet minister; Stephanie Bowman, an MPP; Lee Fairclough, an MPP; Eric Lombardi, a housing advocate; and Dylan Marando, a policy advisor. Theresa Lubowitz, a Liberal strategist, said the dynamics shift after today's deadline: "Post-membership deadline, this is the moment where it's about persuasion. You know who the membership block is that's able to vote, and you're trying to convince as many of them as possible to join your side in this race."

Student campus clubs have another two weeks to sign up members — they are not included in today's cutoff. Party clarity on whether membership registration numbers will be released after Monday remains unclear. In past races, individual campaigns have claimed their share of registered figures to assert standing. "There's a little gamesmanship because it is all about showing, 'Hey, we have the momentum, we're the front runner,'" Lubowitz said.

Party members will choose the new leader on Nov. 21 using a ranked ballot system. Members rank candidates by preference, with votes tallied by riding. Each riding is worth 100 points, divided among candidates based on their level of support in each riding. If no candidate achieves more than 50% on the first ballot, the last-place candidate is eliminated and voting continues until a winner receives majority support.