2003 Liberal Party of Canada leadership election


The 2003 Liberal Party of Canada leadership election ended on November 14, 2003, electing former Finance Minister Paul Martin as the party's new leader, replacing outgoing Prime Minister Jean Chrétien.
Stakes for the race were high as the winner would go on to become Prime Minister, and the winner would take a party that was high in the polls without a significant challenger.
Paul Martin spent the entire race as the front runner, as his supporters had secured a lock on the party executives of the federal and most provincial sections of the party. Because of Martin's apparent strength, several prominent candidates, such as Allan Rock, and Brian Tobin, did not go beyond the formative stages.
Martin's sole serious challengers were John Manley and Sheila Copps, the former of whom withdrew before delegate selection began. Martin easily captured the leadership with 93.8% of the delegates.
The party would be beset by significant infighting afterwards, as he and his supporters moved to remove Chrétien supporters from cabinet and even from Parliament. Martin's initial tactics to secure the leadership were generally seen, in retrospect, as weakening his eventual tenure as prime minister.

Candidates

[Sheila Copps]

;Background
MP for Hamilton East, Ontario
Deputy Prime Minister
Minister of the Environment
Minister of the Multiculturalism and Citizenship
Minister of the Communications
Minister of Canadian Heritage
Minister of Amateur Sport
Copps, 50, was a candidate during the 1990 leadership election, finishing in third.

[Paul Martin]

;Background
MP for LaSalle—Émard, Quebec
Minister of Finance
Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec
Martin, 55, was a candidate during the 1990 leadership election, finishing in second.
Martin's loss during the 1990 leadership election result and Jean Chrétien's slim win during the 1997 election led to a period of infighting within the party, with Martin leaving cabinet in June 2002, and Chrétien, in the face of a leadership review, announcing his intention to step down February 2004.

Withdrawn candidates

[John Manley]

;Background
MP for Ottawa South, Ontario
Deputy Prime Minister
Minister of Industry, Science and Technology
Minister of Consumer and Corporate Affairs
Minister of Industry
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Minister of Finance
Manley, 53, withdrew from the race on July 22, 2003 and endorsed Martin.

Declined to run

Timeline

2002