Canada’s Liberal leadership race: Who’s running to replace Justin Trudeau?

The race to replace Justin Trudeau as leader of Canada’s ruling Liberal Party – and as the country’s prime minister – is well under way, with seven candidates throwing their names into contention.

The leadership hopefuls had until Thursday evening to meet a deadline to formally submit their candidacies before the party picks its new chief on March 9. Canadian media outlets reported that it could take a few days to determine who will officially be in the running.

The Liberals are hoping that a new leader will bolster their chances ahead of this year’s federal election.

Polls show they are currently on track to lose by a wide margin to the opposition Conservative Party: A recent Abacus Data survey had the Conservatives with 46 percent support compared with 20 percent for the Liberals.

It is unclear which candidate would give the Liberals the best shot at the polls.

But the vote could be called as soon as Canadian lawmakers go back to the House of Commons on March 24, as opposition legislators have pledged to try to topple the Liberal government at the earliest opportunity. The election must be held by October 20.

Semra Sevi, a political science professor at the University of Toronto, said the race for the Liberal Party leadership has three credible candidates: economist Mark Carney and two former Trudeau cabinet ministers, Chrystia Freeland and Karina Gould.

“However, Carney and Freeland are the clear frontrunners,” Sevi told Al Jazeera.

Here, Al Jazeera looks at the candidates vying to lead the Liberal Party, where they stand on key issues, and whether they will be able to help the party make up ground ahead of the next election.