The latest Nanos tracking poll shows that the Liberals led by Mark Carney are ahead of the Conservatives led by Pierre Poilievre by 5 percentage points.

The federal Liberals have emerged as the front runners in the closely contested election, holding a five-point lead over the Conservatives, who have maintained steady support as the two parties are locked in a tight race on Day 8 of the federal election campaign.

According to the first three-day survey by Nanos Research, CTV News’ and the Globe and Mail’s official pollster, the Liberals led by Mark Carney are at 42 per cent, while the Conservatives led by Pierre Poilievre are at 37 per cent.

The New Democratic Party stands at 11 per cent, followed by the Bloc Quebecois (five per cent), the Green Party of Canada (three per cent), and the People’s Party of Canada (two per cent).

Nanos Research Chief Data Scientist Nik Nanos stated that the Liberals’ five-point advantage appears to be driven by strategic voting, as voters rally to counterbalance the Conservative challenge, which is reshaping the political landscape and squeezing smaller parties out of the spotlight.

Regional data shows the Liberals enjoying the highest support in Quebec at 47 per cent, and the lowest support in the Prairies at 35 per cent. Conversely, the Conservatives have their strongest support in the Prairies at 43 per cent and their weakest support in Quebec at 21 per cent.

When it comes to preferred prime minister, the Liberals also lead with 48 per cent of Canadians choosing Carney, compared to 32 per cent who chose Poilievre. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh lags far behind at four per cent.