[10][11] The loss marked the first time Liberals lost a seat that they had held prior to a by-election during the 44th Parliament.

[12] In the aftermath of the by-election loss, Wayne Long publicly called on Trudeau to resign, the first Liberal MP to do so.

[16] In October, Trudeau faced a caucus revolt when 24 Liberal MPs signed a letter demanding his resignation.

The dissident MPs continued to push for a caucus vote on Trudeau's leadership, though there is no formal mechanism in the party to force one.

[26][27] On January 6, 2025, Trudeau announced his intention to resign as party leader and prime minister shortly after his successor is chosen.

[28][29] Following Trudeau's announcement, political commentators suggested that several figures were likely candidates: Anita Anand, Mark Carney, François-Philippe Champagne, Christy Clark, Chrystia Freeland, Mélanie Joly and Dominic LeBlanc.

[37] Carney, the former governor of the Bank of Canada, had been courted by the party for the leadership in 2012, and had been rumoured as a star candidate in the 2021 election.

[39] Clark, the premier of British Columbia from 2011 to 2017, had called on Trudeau to step down on multiple occasions since 2022, and in October 2024, publicly expressed interest in leading the party.

[44] In an interview on January 10 with CBC Radio's The House, Clark confirmed she was seriously considering running for the leadership.

Four days later, on January 14, Clark announced she would not run for leader, citing the short length of the race and insufficient French.

Though he acknowledged his bid was a longshot, he hoped it would inspire other Indigenous people and pave the way for future candidates.

Battiste was also motivated by Fraser declining to run, and hoped to be a voice for the Atlantic provinces in the contest.

To be eligible to register as a Liberal, and thus be permitted to vote, one must be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident of Canada, or have status under the Indian Act; not be a member of another political party; and be a minimum of 14 years old.

[73] Candidates who have submitted a minimum of 300 signatures of registered Liberals, paid the first three installments towards the $350,000 entrance fee, and had their applications approved by the party.