Canadians are likely to prefer someone other than Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to lead the Liberals in the upcoming election, according to a new survey conducted by Nanos Research for CTV News.

In the face of persistently weak polling numbers, questions about the Prime Minister's future – and who the potential contenders might be thinking about running to replace him – have been hovering for months.

Now, according to the latest polling data, a significantly larger number of Canadians would like to see him step down, compared to those who say they want him to lead the Liberal Party of Canada in the next campaign.

When asked to think ahead to the upcoming federal election and the leadership of the current governing party, 56% of participants – surveyed between May 31 and June 2 – said they preferred the Liberals to have someone other than Trudeau at the helm.

Only 17% of those surveyed said they believe Trudeau should stay as the Liberal leader in the next election. Another 18% said they had no preference, while 8% were unsure.

These numbers show a continued but gradual decline in Canadian support for Trudeau in recent years.

In December 2022, when Nanos Research asked for comments on the same question, 51% of participants said they preferred the Liberals to have someone other than Trudeau to lead the party. At that time, 25% supported Trudeau continuing his leadership.

Then when asked in September and again in December 2023, 55% of participants in both months said they preferred someone other than Trudeau.

Diving into the latest responses, when looking at demographic breakdowns, women were more likely than men to show support for Trudeau as Liberal leader.

Only 11% of Atlantic Canadians surveyed said they preferred Trudeau to remain in his position, which is the lowest level of support for this option nationwide, followed by 15% in the Prairies.

British Columbians noted the highest level of support for Trudeau as Liberal leader, with 23% of those surveyed expressing a desire to see him lead the party in the upcoming election.

When it comes to whether someone other than Trudeau should take power, agreement with this sentiment was highest in Ontario, where 60% of respondents said they wanted a new Liberal leader, followed by 58% of Quebec residents.

In recent months, some loyal Liberals have publicly suggested that the Prime Minister consider planning his exit to allow time for a leadership race, while others have downplayed leadership speculation, saying they still feel Trudeau represents the Liberal brand well.

Throughout all this, Trudeau has consistently stated that he does not intend to step down before facing Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre at the ballot box, at the latest in October 2025.