Mark Carney won the Liberal Party leadership with what percentage of the vote on the first ballot?

Mark Carney secured a commanding victory in the Liberal Party of Canada's leadership election, winning with 85.9 percent of the vote on the first ballot. This decisive win took place on March 9, 2025, following Justin Trudeau's resignation as both Prime Minister and leader of the Liberal Party. Carney's overwhelming support from the party membership positioned him to become Canada's 24th Prime Minister, a notable achievement as he was the first Canadian Prime Minister never to have held elected office prior to assuming the top political role.

Carney's background as a highly respected economist played a significant role in his campaign. He previously served as the Governor of the Bank of Canada from 2008 to 2013, navigating the country through the global financial crisis, and then as the Governor of the Bank of England from 2013 to 2020, where he was the first non-Briton to hold the position. His extensive experience in global finance and his reputation for steady leadership provided a strong platform for his bid. In the leadership race, he faced off against prominent Liberal figures such as former Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, who garnered 8 percent of the vote, and former House leader Karina Gould, who received 3.2 percent.

The leadership election saw significant engagement, with over 151,000 members casting their ballots through a ranked ballot system. Carney's landslide victory, which surpassed even Justin Trudeau's 2013 leadership win in terms of vote share and points, demonstrated a clear desire within the party for a new direction. Following his swearing-in as Prime Minister on March 14, 2025, Carney swiftly called a snap federal election, initiating a new chapter for both the Liberal Party and Canadian politics.