Canada’s Liberals sweep by-elections, strengthening Mark Carney

Mark Carney’s Liberals won all three Canadian by-elections held Monday night, turning a series of local contests into a fresh show of strength for the prime minister as tensions with the United States intensify.

The Liberals held their seats in Toronto and British Columbia and captured Chicoutimi-Le Fjord in Quebec from the Conservatives. Liberal candidate Daniel Gobeil won more than 50% of the vote, while the Conservative candidate finished third with about 12.5%.

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At this pivotal moment for Canada, voters have placed their trust in our government’s plan.

The results restored the Liberals to 173 seats in the House of Commons, one above the threshold for an outright majority. The party had temporarily lost that position after several resignations during the summer. All three Liberal candidates won more than half of the vote.

The vote followed Carney’s decision to end trade negotiations with Washington after judging U.S. demands unacceptable. A new round of tariffs between the two countries has added importance to Chicoutimi-Le Fjord, an area closely tied to Quebec’s aluminum industry and particularly exposed to U.S. measures.

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a beating

Carney described the results as backing for his approach. “At this pivotal moment for Canada, voters have placed their trust in our government’s plan,” he said in a statement. The Liberal Party said the results showed growing support for Carney’s plan to defend Canadian workers and productive sectors while building a stronger, more independent economy.

The Conservatives suffered setbacks in all three constituencies. In Chicoutimi-Le Fjord, their share dropped from 34.1% in the 2025 general election to 12.5%. Kory Teneycke, a former communications director for Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper, called the result “a beating” and said Poilievre’s leadership was “under siege.”

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under siege