Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney won three byelections Monday night, giving him a majority government and a free hand to further remake the government he inherited from Justin Trudeau.

Candidates from Carney’s Liberal Party won with large majorities, as expected, in two Toronto districts, known as “ridings,” vacated by Trudeau ministers. They also squeaked by in a hard-fought campaign in the suburban Montreal community of Terrebonne, where 25-year-old Haitian-born Tatiana Auguste won the normally separatist riding for the second time, after having a one-vote 2025 victory overturned in the Supreme Court.

The two Toronto ridings were sure to vote Liberal, but the victory in Montreal showed that the Alberta banker with stilted French is able to appeal to French-speaking voters who normally vote for parties that want Quebec to separate.

The result reflected voters' confidence in a leader whose ascension looked unlikely in 2025. Thanks to the unpopularity of U.S. President Donald Trump and a swell of support at the Canadian polls, Carney seems to be headed from triumph to triumph, demonstrating the same assurance as a politician that he showed as a banker. 

The rise of Mark Carney

Carney became prime minister 13 months ago in a Liberal leadership race after finance minister Chrystia Freeland resigned suddenly, kicking off a caucus revolt that forced Trudeau out. At that time, the opposition Conservatives enjoyed a huge lead in the polls and Carney—a rookie with no retail political experience—looked like he would oversee a brief interregnum before handing power to Conservative Pierre Poilievre.

Enter Donald Trump. The U.S. president threatened to use economic force to make Canada the 51st state, and Carney was able to harness the nationalistic reaction to Trump’s braggadocio, promising to keep his elbows up — an expression borrowed from legendary hockey player Gordie Howe, who was famous for leaving opposing players crumpled in the corners. 

Carney, who........

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