Nate Erskine-Smith challenges Ontario Liberal Party nomination loss

Erskine-Smith lost to Ahsanul Hafiz by 19 votes

Published May 12, 2026  •  Last updated 15 minutes ago  •  2 minute read

Liberal MP Nate Erskine-Smith answers questions by the journalists before heading into the caucus meeting at the West Block on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026. Photo by HYUNGCHEOL PARK /Postmedia

Liberal MP Nate Erskine-Smith is challenging the result of the Ontario Liberal Party nomination race in which he wasn’t the victor.

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Erskine-Smith has filed a notice of appeal to the party after casting doubt on Saturday’s race that he lost to Ahsanul Hafiz.

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The MP, who currently represents the Beaches-East York riding federally, was vying to represent the Liberals in the coming Scarborough Southwest byelection ahead of a bid for the party’s leadership.

Erskine-Smith lost to Hafiz by 19 votes and has cast doubt in the process, suggesting there were voter ID issues.

What the OLP says

On Tuesday, the Ontario Liberal Party said it had received Erskine-Smith’s appeal. The party said the complaint is being referred to its arbitration committee, which operates independently and in accordance with the Ontario Liberal Party Constitution and nomination rules.

“I have complete confidence in the integrity of our party’s process and in the work of the arbitration committee,” Interim Leader John Fraser said in a media release.

“The committee will review the appeal carefully, fairly and swiftly, consistent with our rules and procedures.”

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Read More

1. 

   Nate Erskine-Smith urged to ‘prove it’ after casting doubt on nomination race
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   Liberal MP Nate Erskine-Smith loses nomination race for provincial byelection in Scarborough

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   LILLEY: Erskine-Smith’s Liberal leadership ambitions at stake in Scarborough Southwest

What Erskine-Smith has said

After Saturday’s loss, Erskine-Smith began raising concerns about voter ID issues, telling reporters that he “spoke with a few scrutineers already who said they’ve never seen anything like it and it’s unreal what happened in there.”

Erskine-Smith said at the time it was unfair of him to speculate and he wanted to discuss it with his team to see “what comes next,” adding the vote was “obviously very close.”

The Liberal MP was seeking the nomination for Scarborough Southwest, an unrepresented riding at Queen’s Park. The seat was declared vacant after ex-NDP MPP Doly Begum switched sides, joining the federal Liberals and then winning an April byelection to replace former Liberal MP Bill Blair in Ottawa.

Some of the candidates in the Scarborough Southwest race were concerned Erskine-Smith was using the riding for his own personal gain, agreeing to rank each other second on ballots, The Canadian Press reported. Erskine-Smith suggested the party “establishment” was working against him.

— With files from Jordan Ercit and The Canadian Press

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