Leadnow’s 2026 Community Survey Results
As a people-powered organization, Leadnow takes our direction from our community. As part of that process, every year we survey our supporters to invite them to share their top priorities and concerns. This year’s annual survey has just wrapped up, and the results are summarized below.
Over 4,400 people responded to this year’s survey. We offered respondents the choice to do an extended portion with demographic questions to help us better understand who our supporters are; about 2,343 opted to complete this portion.
Issues of concern
We led by asking what Leadnow supporters are most worried about as we enter 2026. Respondents reported that they were most worried about far-right threats to democracy and the threat of Trump to Canada. Rollbacks to climate action also ranked highly, with cost of living, new pipelines, and housing each receiving a smaller but sizable share.
Amongst additional concerns that respondents wrote in, healthcare, the genocide in Gaza, AI, and Indigenous rights featured prominently.
Concerns about Trump
Respondents reported a high degree of concern with Trump’s regime, mainly in regards to military and economic threats against Canada’s sovereignty, the normalization of attacks on democratic institutions, and the erosion of global cooperation and international human rights.
Trust in Carney’s Liberals
Leadnow’s community remains ambivalent about the current government, with almost two thirds of our supporters indicating they take a “they’re with us sometimes but need to be pushed” attitude. 24% of respondents said Carney’s Libs don’t share their values, and only 15% said they do.
Reported levels of mistrust in Carney are marginally higher from when we asked the same question in 2025, suggesting that public sentiment toward Carney’s Liberals may be cooling slightly.
Top priorities
This year, the top three campaign issues endorsed by the Leadnow community were:
- Putting an end to corporate profiteering by redistributing ill-gotten corporate profits to pay for the public services we need;
- Tackling the housing crisis by building more public, affordable, and climate-safe rental housing and increasing renter protections;
- Addressing the climate crisis by building a 100% renewable east-west energy grid and putting a stop to new fossil fuel infrastructure, like pipelines.
But those weren’t the only topics people selected. We also saw plenty of support for resisting the rise of the far-right, protecting democratic institutions, defending public healthcare, and advancing Indigenous rights.
Conclusion
First and foremost, these results showcase the strength of the Leadnow community. Thousands of people across Canada have taken the time to meaningfully engage in setting the direction of our organization. Though we come from diverse backgrounds, regions, and partisan leanings, we share core progressive values – and a commitment to getting things done. When we say democracy is our strength, we mean it.
The results also show that the Leadnow community is deeply engaged on the most challenging issues of our day: the rise of the authoritarian right, the assault on public institutions by an unaccountable corporate class, the climate crisis, and the desperate need for affordable housing.
This shows that Leadnow is tied together by a shared willingness to confront these issues head-on, and a shared optimism in our ability to overcome them. Whatever the next year holds for people in Canada and for Leadnow, there is no doubt that we will rise to the challenge in solidarity with each other – and that is what makes Leadnow a force to be reckoned with.
P.S. the best way to support Leadnow’s work is with a regular donation. If you’d like to keep us fighting hard for your priorities in 2026, will you consider starting a monthly donation now?