The five Ontario Liberal Party leadership contenders faced off for the first time on Monday, pitching themselves as the best choice to take on Doug Ford as they criticized the Ontario Premier’s economic record, as well as the state of the health care and education systems after his near-decade in office.

The leadership race for the Liberals, who have been in third place provincially since 2020, has attracted former federal industry minister Navdeep Bains, as well as two Toronto MPPs, Lee Fairclough and Stephanie Bowman. The other two candidates are Dylan Marando, a former policy adviser to two premiers and a prime minister, and Eric Lombardi, a housing advocate.

Liberal members will vote for the new leader in November.

The Ontario Liberals have been in the political wilderness for almost a decade, replaced in government by Mr. Ford’s Progressive Conservatives who took office in 2018 and have won three back-to-back majorities.

But the former ruling party has shown signs of resurgence. Despite being without a leader since January, some polls have put the provincial Liberals neck-and-neck with the PCs.

The debate, which was livestreamed on YouTube, covered topics such as taking on Mr. Ford, affordability measures and modernizing the party. The candidates argued that health care must remain public and cuts to the Ontario Student Assistance Program reversed, while lambasting the Ford government’s takeover of multiple school boards and its multimillion dollar spending on advertisements promoting its own measures.

But the contenders differed on whether the next leader – unlike the last two, Bonnie Crombie and Steven Del Duca – should hold a seat in the legislature, with Ms. Bowman and Ms. Fairclough arguing that being elected would bring gravitas to the role and would allow the new leader to hold Mr. Ford to account immediately.

Mr. Bains, who served for six years in former prime minister Justin Trudeau’s cabinet before leaving federal politics in 2021, is considered the front-runner. A former Rogers Communications executive, Mr. Bains has ties to Bay Street and significant political organizing experience.

He drew on that resume Monday, saying he is best-placed to challenge the Premier’s economic record.

“That’s what people are looking for: someone who can take on Doug Ford on his, I would say, abysmal track record when it comes to the economy,” he said, adding that health care and education are also good for the economy.

In addition, he addressed his apparent front-runner status in the race: “I learned long ago not to take anything for granted and work hard.”

Ms. Fairclough, a former hospital president and ex-national women’s rugby player, drew on her health care experience and said her time at Queen’s Park has also given her a wide breadth of knowledge about public finances.

She pitched herself as ready to take on Mr. Ford. “It’s time for serious government in Ontario. Unlike leaders of the last eight years, I have a seat, and I am a sharp contrast to Doug Ford,” the first-term MPP from Etobicoke-Lakeshore said.

Ms. Bowman, an accountant and former bank executive who was first elected in 2022, touted her experience in the financial sector.

“We need a leader that understands the economy, that understands how business works, and how to partner with businesses. And that leader is me,” she said.

Mr. Marando said he believes the public is turning against Mr. Ford, whom he accused of only caring about private jets and luxury hotels.

“The milk has soured on Doug Ford, and shortly it’s going to be chunky. So our job is not to oppose, our job is to propose,” he said.

Mr. Lombardi, who pitched himself as the candidate of generational change, said the next leader needs to reach out to members from other political parties. “Vote for the candidate doing the most to expand our current party’s tent so that we can win against Ford,” he said.

Mr. Ford has struggled in recent months amidst controversies such as the decision to buy and then resell a $28.9-million private jet this spring, and a recent spending scandal that saw his former tourism minister resign from cabinet.

Ontario Liberal members will vote for the leader online using a ranked ballot from Nov. 9 to 20, with the winner to be announced Nov. 21.

Former leader Ms. Crombie resigned in January. The Ontario Liberals won 14 seats under her leadership, returning to official party status in the legislature, but she failed to win her own race in Mississauga. Ms. Crombie has now returned to municipal politics, running to be the mayor of Mississauga, a role she previously held for three terms.