Toronto MP Erskine-Smith says provincial leadership bid less likely now as he challenges nomination loss

Toronto Liberal MP Nate Erskine-Smith has said his possible bid for the leadership of the Ontario Liberal Party is now “less likely” after losing an important provincial nomination contest in Scarborough Southwest. The federal politician officially filed an appeal after being narrowly defeated in the race to become the Ontario Liberal candidate for an upcoming provincial byelection.

Erskine-Smith lost the nomination race to businessman and Liberal organizer Ahsanul Hafiz by only 19 votes after a competitive and closely watched contest. The vote attracted major attention across Ontario politics because Erskine-Smith was widely seen as a possible future leader of the provincial Liberal Party. Winning the nomination would have helped him enter provincial politics and build support for a leadership campaign.

After the result was announced, Erskine-Smith raised concerns about the voting process and suggested there may have been problems related to voter identification checks during the nomination meeting. He said some of his team members and scrutineers reported unusual situations during the voting process and claimed they had “never seen anything like it” before. However, Ontario Liberal officials defended the integrity of the contest and said the matter would now be reviewed fairly by the party’s arbitration committee.

The nomination battle became highly competitive in recent weeks as several candidates accused each other of trying to gain political advantage ahead of the next Ontario Liberal leadership race. Some local candidates also argued that Erskine-Smith was using the Scarborough Southwest riding as a stepping stone for bigger political ambitions instead of focusing on local community issues.

Erskine-Smith currently represents the federal riding of Beaches–East York in Toronto and previously finished second in the Ontario Liberal leadership race in 2023. Earlier this year, he publicly signaled interest in another leadership run and was considered one of the stronger potential candidates for the provincial party. His defeat in the nomination contest has now created uncertainty around his future political plans.

The Scarborough Southwest byelection became politically important after former Ontario NDP deputy leader Doly Begum resigned the seat to run in federal politics. Because of that vacancy, the Ontario Liberals saw the riding as an important opportunity to strengthen their position before the next provincial election.

Despite the controversy, interim Ontario Liberal leader John Fraser said he has confidence in the party’s internal process and believes the appeal will be reviewed carefully and professionally. Party officials have not yet announced when a final decision on the appeal will be made.