Elizabeth May

Elizabeth May

OC MP
May in 2024
Leader of the Green Party of Canada
Assumed office
November 19, 2022
Co-leader with Jonathan Pedneault (2025)
DeputyJonathan Pedneault (2022-24)
Preceded byAmita Kuttner (interim)
In office
August 26, 2006 – November 4, 2019
Preceded byJim Harris
Succeeded byJo-Ann Roberts (interim)
Parliamentary Leader of the Green Party of Canada
In office
November 4, 2019 – November 19, 2022
Leader
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byPosition abolished
Member of Parliament
for Saanich—Gulf Islands
Assumed office
May 2, 2011
Preceded byGary Lunn
Personal details
Born
Elizabeth Evans May

(1954-06-09) June 9, 1954
Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.
Political partyGreen
ResidenceSidney, British Columbia, Canada
Alma materDalhousie Law School (1983)
OccupationPolitician, lawyer, writer

Elizabeth Evans May OC MP (born June 9, 1954) is an American-born Canadian politician. May was leader of the Green Party of Canada and Member of Parliament for Saanich—Gulf Islands. She is an environmentalist, author, activist, and lawyer, May served as the Executive Director of the Sierra Club of Canada from 1989 to 2006.

Political career

On May 2, 2011, she became the first member of the Green Party of Canada to be elected as a Member of Parliament.[1]

May ran for re-election in the 2015 federal election in the riding of Saanich–Gulf Islands and was successful in regaining her seat in Parliament.[2] After the 2015 election, she was the only Green Party member in the House of Commons.[3] This changed on May 6, 2019, when Paul Manly was elected. Manly became the second Green Party member in the House of Commons.[4]

After the 2019 Canadian federal election, May said she was going to stop being the leader of the Green Party.[5]

After Annamie Paul resigned, May announced she would run in the leadership election to replace her.[6][7] Running on a joint ticket with human rights activist Jonathan Pedneault, May won the leadership election on November 19, 2022.[8] In the 2025 election, May won re-election in her riding of Saanich—Gulf Islands, becoming the party's sole representative in Parliament. On August 19, 2025, May announced her plan to resign as party leader and not lead the party into the next federal election.[9]

References

  1. "Elizabeth May, again excluded, tweets her way into Munk debate conversation". cbc.ca. September 29, 2015.
  2. "Elizabeth May re-elected, leaving party with 1 seat". cbc.ca. October 20, 2015.
  3. "Federal Election 2015: Elizabeth May's acceptance speech". Global News. Archived from the original on 2015-10-22. Retrieved 2018-07-08.
  4. Zussman, Richard; Little, Simon (May 7, 2019). "Greens claim historic 2nd federal seat with upset byelection win in Nanaimo-Ladysmith". Global News. Retrieved May 18, 2019.
  5. Tasker, John Paul; Zimonjic, Peter (November 4, 2019). "Elizabeth May steps down as Green Party leader". CBC News. Retrieved November 16, 2020.
  6. Thurton, David (November 16, 2021). "Green Party accepts Annamie Paul's resignation as leader". CBC News. Archived from the original on November 16, 2021. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
  7. Thurton, David (August 31, 2022). "Green Party leadership candidates launch their campaigns". CBC News. Archived from the original on August 31, 2022. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
  8. "Elizabeth May returns to Green Party leadership with running mate Jonathan Pedneault". thestar.com. November 19, 2022. Archived from the original on November 20, 2022. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
  9. Major, Darren (August 19, 2025). "Elizabeth May says she won't lead Green Party in next election". CBC News. Retrieved August 23, 2025.