Politics
The once-flailing federal Liberals are rolling out high-profile candidates ahead of an imminent election call — including former journalist Evan Solomon.
Sources say election will be called this Sunday
Catharine Tunney · CBC News
· Posted: Mar 20, 2025 11:28 AM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hour ago
Former journalist Evan Solomon is running for the federal Liberals in the upcoming election, he announced Thursday. (CBC)The once-flailing federal Liberals are rolling out high-profile candidates ahead of an imminent election call — including former journalist Evan Solomon.
Solomon, who worked for both CBC and CTV, confirmed the news on LinkedIn Thursday. He did not say where he will run.
“Given the urgent challenges and threats facing Canadians right now, I’ve decided it’s the right time to come home and do whatever I can to help serve my community and country,” Solomon wrote.
The former journalist has been friendly with Prime Minister Mark Carney for years.
His candidacy announcement comes nearly a decade after CBC fired the then host of Power & Politics and The House, following reports he was brokering art deals with people he interviewed as a journalist — including Carney.
At the time, CBC determined Solomon’s activities were inconsistent with the organization’s conflict of interest and ethics policy, as well as its journalistic standards and practices.
More recently, Solomon worked for the Eurasia Group as the publisher for GZERO Media.
Liberal reboundSolomon’s leap into politics comes as the federal Liberals’ fortunes are rapidly shifting.
A few months ago, the party appeared on the verge of collapse under Justin Trudeau. MPs and cabinet ministers were leaving politics as the party was slumping in the polls.
For the first time in nearly three years, polls suggest the Liberals are now leading as support for the Conservatives and NDP slides, according to CBC’s Poll Tracker.
The party appears to be attracting more candidates with prominent profiles. Sources speaking to Radio-Canada say former Quebec finance minister Carlos Leitão will also run for the Liberals.
Sources have suggested other names are in the hopper or being courted.
And some Liberals are also now running again after earlier declaring they were bowing out of the race.
Industry Minister Anita Anand reversed her decision to retire from politics and announced she will seek re-election under Carney’s leadership. Vocal New Brunswick backbencher Wayne Long said he will run, now that Carney is leading the party.
WATCH | Mark Carney is poised to call an election: Where will he run?
Mark Carney is poised to call an election: Where will he run?
CBC’s Catherine Cullen, host of The House, says it’s not yet clear where Prime Minister Mark Carney might run. The Liberal leader — who does not hold a seat in the House of Commons — has ties to several regions, including the North, Alberta and the Ottawa area.
Sources say Carney will ask the Governor General to dissolve Parliament and call a federal election on Sunday, triggering weeks of campaigning as the parties battle it out for Canadians’ votes.
An election campaign is expected to last between 36 and 50 days. Election day remains to be confirmed, but voters are expected to cast their ballots on either April 28 or May 5, according to sources.
So far, no political party has nominated candidates to all 343 ridings.
The Conservatives lead the pack with 279 nominated candidates as of Thursday.
The Conservative Party also has amassed notable candidates: former chief of the Enoch Cree Nation Billy Morin, law enforcement officer Jessy Sahota and conservative filmmaker Aaron Gunn.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Catharine Tunney is a reporter with CBC’s Parliament Hill bureau, where she covers national security and the RCMP. She worked previously for CBC in Nova Scotia. You can reach her at catharine.tunney@cbc.ca
With files from David Cochrane
