Liberal Democratic Party of the United Islands leadership election, 2015

The fourth election for a leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of the United Islands will take place progressively throughout August, and potentially September, 2015. The party will choose a leader to succeed Lawrence Porter, who has been leader since October 2009 and Prime Minister of Georgeland since 2010.

Constitution and Rules
The party's constitution lays out the procedure for a leadership election. The first round of voting will take place in early August, and will consist of the party's elected members of the House of Commons and Senate, a total of 171 electors. Any member of the parliamentary party is eligible to nominate, though technically any person can nominate, even if they are not a serving MP (see below). The two highest-placing candidates in the ballot, regardless of whether one has an outright majority, will then go through to the second round, a vote of all 81,000 members of the party's rank-and-file.

At the two previous leadership elections, in 2007 and 2009, there were only two declared candidates, which meant no rank-and-file ballot was held. Porter stated in the speech announcing his retirement that he expected a number of candidates to contest the ballot, and hoped that it would be put to the party membership.

Declared

 * Deborah Rhodes, Minister for Culture and wife of former Prime Minister Campbell Rhodes (who is now Mayor of Santa Christina), declared her candidacy on April 7. She is the first member of the Cabinet to declare her interest. Rhodes is unaffiliated with either wing of the LDP, but would presumably have the support of her husband, who commands considerable interest in the party.

Undeclared or Speculative

 * Robbie Jones

The incumbent Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance has been generally considered the preferred successor by Porter himself, though he hails from the moderate faction of former Democrats.
 * Robin Sales

Formerly Chief Minister of East Mainland, then party leader in opposition from 2007 to 2009, Sales is now Foreign Minister and is considered as a serious contender, with strong support from moderates and right-wingers in the party.
 * Erica Lucas
 * Geraldine McLean
 * David Keeler
 * Clare Price
 * Campbell Rhodes has repeatedly refused to outright rule out a return to national politics. He commands a large amount of support within the party, and despite not being an MP, this could easily be rectified. However, which Rhodes' wife now a declared candidate, he is presumably not planning to contest.

Not running

 * Adam St. John, currently Treasurer and the acknowledged leader of the former Georgeland Party faction of moderate centrists, announced on April 6 that he would not seek the leadership "at this time."