The Liberal’s national campaign director has quit his role ahead of the next election because he believes that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau cannot win a fourth term, sources say.
The Liberals’ federal campaign director Jeremy Broadhurst privately told Trudeau that he would be leaving the position last month, anonymous sources reported to the Toronto Star.
Broadhurst allegedly told the prime minister that he didn’t think he could win the next election and that Trudeau should acquire a new campaign director who did think a fourth term was possible.
According to one source within the Liberal party, Broadhurst also told Trudeau that he no longer had the fight in him to continue.
News of his departure was allegedly kept from many senior staff and caucus until recently.
Broadhurst could not be reached for comment.
Trudeau’s chief of staff Katie Telford told the Star “Your sources aren’t good,” however, she did not deny the information.
The Liberals’ national director Azam Ishmael claimed that Broadhurst “hasn’t” resigned but refused to confirm whether he tried to quit.
Ishmael wouldn’t confirm whether he was leaving. As of only days ago, Broadhurst was still slated to brief Members of Parliament at national caucus meetings in Nanaimo, B.C. next week.
The Prime Minister’s Office declined True North’s request for comment.
Broadhurst was appointed to the role last year, tasked with ensuring that the Liberals’ messaging, money, candidates, volunteers and advertising would be ready for the upcoming election slated for October 2025.
However, with NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh announcing he was pulling his party out of the Liberal-NDP coalition on Wednesday, it’s possible that an election could be triggered earlier.
An official announcement of Broadhurst’s departure is expected on Thursday, however, he may stay on until later September, according to sources.
Broadhurst had a longstanding reputation as a Liberal loyalist, being personally selected to be the party’s national director by Telford following the Liberals’ landslide victory in 2015.
He went to become a senior advisor in the Prime Minister’s Office and served as advisor to Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland.
He has also been credited by insiders as being a key player in the last two federal elections.
Thus far, no replacement has been announced.
Despite his plummeting poll numbers and Singh pulling his support, Trudeau has remained adamant that he will be leading the Liberals into the next election, and he still holds leadership support from many members of his cabinet.
However, several Liberal MPs recently added their names to a growing list of those who will not be seeking re-election next term over the summer, including several cabinet ministers.
Among those who are stepping down, several hold seats in key ridings where the support is neck and neck with the opposition.