Former Canadian Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland is running to be the next leader of the Liberal Party and prime minister of Canada

Former Canadian finance minister Chrystia Freeland on Friday announced that she would take part in the contest to replace Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as leader of the ruling Liberal Party.

Chrystia Freeland, the former deputy prime minister, sought to distance herself from Mr. Trudeau in a public letter criticizing him for “costly political gimmicks.”

Less than five weeks after she resigned her cabinet seat over a dispute with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Chrystia Freeland has launched her campaign to replace him as the leader of the Liberal party.

OTTAWA - Chrystia Freeland is running to be the next Leader of the Liberal Party and Prime Minister of Canada. She says in a statement posted on social media she will officially launch her campaign on Sunday.

OTTAWA--Former Canadian finance minister Chrystia Freeland said on social media Friday she was joining the race to become Liberal Party leader and the next prime minister. "I'm running to fight for Canada,

After nearly a decade in power, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau finally bowed to a chorus of criticism that had become too loud to ignore, announcing his resignation on Monday. Among the loudest critics was one of his most loyal and longest-serving deputies.

The Liberals need to elect a new leader before Parliament resumes March 24 because all three opposition parties say they will bring down the Liberal government in a no-confidence vote.

Chrystia Freeland, the former Canadian finance minister who helped bring Justin Trudeau’s political career to an end when she resigned in December, has joined the race to replace him as prime minister.

Freeland's supporters include Health Minister Mark Holland, former cabinet ministers Marie-Claude Bibeau and Randy Boissonnault, Liberal MPs Ben Carr, Ken McDonald, Stéphane Lauzon, Rob Oliphant and Anthony Housefather, and former longtime Liberal MP Wayne Easter.

Chrystia Freeland blew up the career of her top political ally, Justin Trudeau. Now, she is taking on an old friend, the former central banker Mark Carney.