TRU professor believes federal NDP face uphill battle to re-establish the party

KAMLOOPS — During the 2025 federal election, the NDP bled voters to the Liberals, losing official party status in the process. With Avi Lewis elected leader on the weekend, the party is looking at a slow rebuild.

2025 was essentially a two-party election, with much of the focus down south of the border, as voters elected a leader they thought could best handle the U.S. president. Looking to the next election, the job for the NDP will be presenting themselves as a viable third option.

“I think they are going to take their time, they are going to hit the streets, get their message out and try to attract voters,” said TRU associate professor Robert Hanlon. “It’s a long uphill battle they face in regaining official party status and bringing voters back. If we look at polling again, we still see the Liberals and Carney quite high. Politics changes and so we will see how the future goes, but they have quite a bit of a battle to get their message out.”