He has a bachelor's degree in communications from the University of Ottawa in 1992, and served two terms as president of their student federation in 1992–94.

[7] Prior to being elected, Caron was a researcher and economist with the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada, most recently as Director of Special Projects.

He is also a former journalist: he worked with radio stations CKLE and CKMN-FM, and with the newspapers Progrès-Écho and Rimouskois while studying science at the Cégep de Rimouski.

In 2011, however, he defeated Bloc Québecois incumbent Claude Guimond as part of the large NDP wave that swept through Quebec.

[12] Caron resigned from the NDP shadow cabinet in February 2017 to stand for the leadership of the New Democratic Party to succeed Tom Mulcair.

[13] Caron stated that the two major challenges confronting Canadians are income inequality and climate change.

[14] In the October 1, 2017, election, Caron placed fourth with 9.4% of the vote, with Jagmeet Singh winning on the first ballot.

Caron's plan also proposes the elimination of the "CEO stock option loophole," a promise made by the Liberal Party of Canada in the 2015 federal election.