TORONTO — Ontario Liberal leadership candidates are taking to the stage for the first debate in their race to lead the third-place party, with the early focus on whether it is important to have a seat.

The person Liberal members select in November will be the party’s fourth leader since 2018, when the Liberals were last in government.

The previous two leaders, Steven Del Duca and Bonnie Crombie, did not have a seat in the legislature and the five leadership candidates in this race are debating whether that matters.

Two caucus members, Lee Fairclough and Stephanie Bowman, are making the case that the next leader needs the visibility that comes with being an elected legislator.

The other three candidates, former federal cabinet minister Navdeep Bains, housing advocate Eric Lombardi and former political staffer Dylan Marando, say that is not what will matter to voters.

The next leader is set to be announced Nov. 21.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 10, 2026.

Allison Jones, The Canadian Press