Canada went to the polls Monday in a high-stakes national election, overshadowed by an extraordinary call from U.S. President Donald Trump for the annexation of its northern neighbor.
As Canadians voted, Trump posted on Truth Social that the U.S. would impose “ZERO TARIFFS” if Canada became “the cherished 51st state,” declaring, “IT WAS MEANT TO BE!”
The election, originally expected to favor Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, shifted dramatically in recent weeks. The sudden rise of Liberal leader and newly appointed Prime Minister Mark Carney has been attributed to public backlash over Trump’s comments.
Carney, 60, who took over from Justin Trudeau last month, has no prior elected experience but brings a background as a former central bank governor in both Canada and the UK. He has emphasized his economic expertise as key to defending Canada from Trump’s trade threats and political pressure.
“The United States wants to break us so they can own us,” Carney has warned on the campaign trail. “We don’t need chaos, we need calm. We don’t need anger, we need an adult.”
Poilievre, 45, a long-serving MP, has focused on domestic frustrations with the previous Liberal government, including inflation, housing shortages, and crime. He has criticized Trump’s interference but argues that it was a decade of Liberal mismanagement that left Canada exposed.
“You cannot handle another four years of this,” he told supporters over the weekend.
A Nation Divided
The unexpected involvement of Trump has made this Canadian election one of the most globally watched in recent memory.
“I planned to vote for change, but I’ll support Carney because he’s serious and can stand up to Trump,” said Hamza Fahri, a 28-year-old engineer from Montreal.
Others, like Kelsey Leschasin from Saskatchewan, remain firm in their desire to remove the Liberals from office: “I don’t agree with how they’ve been running the country.”
Still, some voters, like 37-year-old Julie Demers, expressed frustration that American politics had dominated the discourse. “It’s unfortunate we only talked about Trump instead of Canadian issues like social equality,” she said.
From Underdog to Favorite
If the Liberals win, it would be one of the most remarkable turnarounds in Canadian political history. When Trudeau resigned on January 6, the Conservatives were ahead in polls by over 20 points.
However, Carney’s entry and rising concern over U.S. pressure have shifted momentum. Final polls from CBC’s aggregator showed the Liberals leading with 42.8% support, ahead of the Conservatives at 38.8%.
Canada’s political landscape is complicated by third parties. The New Democratic Party (NDP) and the Bloc Québécois are expected to play pivotal roles, potentially preventing any party from securing a majority.
Approximately 29 million Canadians are eligible to vote across the country’s six time zones. A record 7.3 million cast early ballots. Voters will select 343 Members of Parliament, with 172 seats required for a majority.
The Liberals won a majority in 2015 but have governed in a minority since 2019.
