Canadian Prime Minister Carney secures parliamentary majority with special election victory

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney secured a majority for his government with a victory in a special election last night, which will allow his Liberals to pass legislation without the support of opposition parties.

Voting was held for three vacant seats in the 343 districts represented in Parliament.

In Toronto, Liberal candidate Danielle Martin won the Rosedale University riding, and Liberal candidate Dolly Begum won the Scarborough Southwest riding. Results for the Quebec riding are expected later.

The Liberal Party could remain in power until 2029 after these results.

Carney won Canada's election last year, fueled by anger over US President Donald Trump's annexation threats, and promised to reduce Canada's dependence on the US.

Since then, five transitions of MPs have brought Carney's Liberals within reach of a majority.

Carney, the former head of the Bank of England as well as Canada's central bank, has moved the Liberals toward the center-right since replacing Justin Trudeau as prime minister in 2025.

Carney congratulated the winners on social media, but did not comment on the majority being won.

"Starting tonight, Mark Carney and our entire incredible team of Liberals have been given an even stronger mandate to continue building a better Canada," Martin said.

Daniel Belan, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal, said the Liberals also have a chance of winning a seat in Quebec.

Belan said the deterioration of Canada-U.S. relations under President Donald Trump's second administration has convinced many Canadians, including those who do not identify as Liberals, to support the current prime minister.

The majority of liberals and the recent defections from the party are a further blow to conservative leader Pierre Poalievre, who lost the previous national elections last year and even lost his own seat. He has since returned to Parliament.