On Wednesday, the NDP race takes another step as the party hosts its first official leadership candidate forum, with five candidates.

Organizers aren't promising what political nerds crave — a back-and-forth debate. Instead, organizers are offering "a worker-first forum" hosted by the country's largest umbrella labour organization, the Canadian Labour Congress, and moderated by its president, Bea Bruske.

Still, the forum could give the first clues about who has the edge in the NDP leadership race.

So far, five candidates have been sanctioned by the party and will appear on stage. Here's a look at who they are.

Rob Ashton

Ashton has been described as a dark horse whose performance might surprise some when the ranked ballot votes are counted on March 29, 2026.

The B.C. dockworker and national president of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada describes himself as a "working-class labour candidate" and not a politician or policy wonk.

Ashton doesn't speak like your typical politician and sometimes swears during interviews with journalists.

"I talk like I talk at work. I'm not gonna bullshit you," he told CBC.

His "raw, unvarnished and grounded" persona, according to pollster David Coletto, makes him a threat in the leadership campaign, but also a threat to Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre if Ashton were to head up the NDP.

WATCH | Why does Rob Ashton want to be NDP leader: B.C. labour leader Rob Ashton joins NDP race to 'focus on workers' | Power & Politics | Duration 9:54 B.C.