Five people seeking to be next federal Liberal candidate in Beaches-East York with decision expected this month
By ALAN SHACKLETON
With Beaches-East York Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith officially stepping down from the position yesterday, the decision on who will represent the federal Liberals in the upcoming byelection in the riding is now at the forefront of local political discussion.
So far, Beach Metro Community News is aware of five people who have publicly declared they want to be that candidate.
They are Summer Nudel, Arthur Potts, Claire Seaborn, Tanveer Shahnawaz, and John Tory Jr.
Erskine-Smith’s last day in the job was July 7. As of the afternoon of Wednesday, July 8, it is unknown if the federal Liberal party will hold an open nomination meeting to select its candidate to run for MP in Beaches-York when the byelection is called, or if the party will appoint a candidate.
Both options are open to the federal Liberals.
However, a timeline on when this happens appears to be quite condensed as a nomination meeting (if that is the option chosen) could happen as soon as Saturday, July 18. Beach Metro Community News has reached out to the Beaches-East York Federal Liberal Association for further information as is awaiting a reply.
Also, there is speculation the federal byelection for Beaches-East York could take place before Labour Day. The current date being mentioned by sources is Monday, Aug. 24, or Monday, Aug. 31. The Aug. 24 date is the absolute earliest date that a federal byelection in Beaches-East York could be held, and the latest date to announce the byelection would be Jan. 3, 2027.
According to Elections Canada, byelections must be called within a maximum of six months after a seat is declared vacant – which is now the case for the federal riding of Beaches-East York with Erskine-Smith’s departure official as of July 7. Once called, the byelection must take place on a Monday “at least 36 days but no more than 50 days” after the byelection is called.
Along with the seat vacancy in Beaches-East York, the ridings of North Vancouver-Capilano in British Columbia and Saint-Hyacinthe-Bagot-Acton in Quebec are also in vacant as byelections in those ridings have been mandated by Elections Canada and those byelections must be announced between July 3 and Dec. 19 of this year. It is expected that all three byelections will be called and held on the same date.
In his final newsletter as MP to Beaches-East York constituents last week, Erskine-Smith said he expected the choice of next federal Liberal for the riding would happen through an open nomination process.
“The Prime Minister (Mark Carney) has told me there’ll be a local nomination to select our next local Liberal candidate here, and a number of contestants have already been hard at work,” said Erskine-Smith in the newsletter. “I’ve always said that an open, fair and competitive nomination is the best way forward.”
In the newsletter, Erskine-Smith emphasized the importance of a “fair” nomination race and referenced his own experience earlier this year in which he sought to become the provincial Liberal candidate in Scarborough Southwest. Erskine-Smith was defeated at that nomination meeting, which had four people seeking the candidacy, by Ahsanul Hafiz.
In the wake of the Scarborough Southwest nomination meeting, Erskine-Smith filed a complaint with the Ontario Liberal Party about what he called irregularities in the process. That appeal was denied by the Ontario Liberal Party. For more on the Scarborough Southwest provincial Liberal nomination meeting issues, please see:
Erskine-Smith was first elected MP for Beaches-East York in the 2015 federal election. He was re-elected to the seat in the 2019, 2021, and 2025 elections. His political career also saw him make an unsuccessful bid to become leader of the Ontario Liberal Party in late 2023, and most recently he sought the nomination to be the provincial Liberal candidate in Scarborough Southwest for the upcoming Ontario byelection that will be held in that riding.
In his farewell column to Beaches-East York constituents that appeared in the June 23 edition of Beach Metro Community News, Erskine-Smith said he was leaving the role of MP with both a sense of accomplishment but also a feeling of unfinished business. To read the column, please go to https://beachmetro.com/2026/06/23/in-my-opinion-thank-you-beaches-east-york-for-the-opportunity-to-serve-as-your-mp/
Please continue to visit Beach Metro Community News online, and read our next print edition on Tuesday, July 21, for further updates on the Beaches-East York federal byelection and Erskine-Smith’s future plans.
