Ontario Liberals are hoping newly minted federal MP Doly Begum will campaign for her provincial cousins in the upcoming Scarborough Southwest byelection, as they look to flip a seat away from the NDP.
Begum, who recently served as the Ontario New Democrats’ deputy leader before switching parties to run as a Liberal MP, won the federal byelection in Scarborough Southwest on Monday night, and helped deliver a majority government to Prime Minister Mark Carney.
In order to run for the federal Liberals, Begum had to give up her seat at Queen’s Park, triggering a byelection in the provincial riding of Scarborough Southwest.
While Premier Doug Ford has yet to call the provincial byelection, Begum is already facing expectations to campaign for the Liberals.
“I’m sure she’d come out,” said Interim Liberal Leader John Fraser. “We’ve been out there helping her… we’re all part of the same team right now.”
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Fraser added that even while Begum sat on the NDP benches at Queen’s Park, she has always had cross-party relationships and has been a “very popular” MPP with a “solid constituency” track record.
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“I feel confident that she will” help the Ontario Liberals, Fraser told Global News.
Ahead of the byelection, Fraser said the provincial Liberals are set to call the open nomination contest in the coming days with the riding aiming to elect its candidate in May.
At least five people, Fraser said, have expressed interest in running for the nomination.
One of those potential candidates, Qadira Jackson, said Ontario Liberals helped Begum in her campaign for the federal seat and hoped to see the favour returned.
“We’re showing up for her. If you look around, you’ll see a lot of Ontario support coming out for her, not just me,” Jackson said at Begum’s victory party on Monday.
“We’ve been trying to work together, federal and provincial, for a long time and strengthen that bond. So I think that would be amazing to see.”
Liberal MP Nate Erskine-Smith, who has pledged to resign from the House of Commons once the provincial byelection is called and is pursuing a bid for the Ontario Liberal Leadership, offered a softer view.
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“There are no hard and fast expectations,” Erskine-Smith said.
“Of course, we’d love to do it with Doly’s support. I consider her a friend, but we are going to deliver change here in Scarborough Southwest, just as Doly has done here federally.”
Shortly after delivering her victory speech, Global News asked Begum whether she would campaign for the Ontario Liberals in her old provincial riding, and against the Ontario NDP — the party she served under for nearly eight years.
“I haven’t thought about that right now,” Begum said. “Honestly, I am right now really focused on just taking it in to be the new member of Parliament for Scarborough Southwest.”
© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.