Ruby Sahota | |
|---|---|
 Sahota in 2025 | |
| Secretary of State (Combatting Crime) | |
| Assumed office May 13, 2025 | |
| Prime Minister | Mark Carney |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Minister of Democratic Institutions | |
| In office December 20, 2024 – March 14, 2025 | |
| Prime Minister | Justin Trudeau |
| Preceded by | Dominic LeBlanc |
| Succeeded by | Arielle Kayabaga |
| Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario | |
| In office December 20, 2024 – March 14, 2025 | |
| Prime Minister | Justin Trudeau |
| Preceded by | Filomena Tassi |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
| Chief Government Whip | |
| In office January 8, 2024 – December 20, 2024 Interim: January 8, 2024 – July 9, 2024 | |
| Prime Minister | Justin Trudeau |
| Preceded by | Steven MacKinnon |
| Succeeded by | Mona Fortier |
| Member of Parliament forBrampton North—Caledon Brampton North (2015–2025) | |
| Assumed office October 19, 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Riding established |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1979-06-22)June 22, 1979 (age 46) |
| Political party | Liberal |
| Spouse | Tejinder Sahota |
| Children | 1 |
| Residence(s) | Brampton,Ontario, Canada[1] |
| Alma mater | |
| Profession | Attorney |
| Website | Official website |
Ruby Sahota[2]PC MP (born June 22, 1979)[3][4] is aCanadian lawyer and politician. A member of theLiberal Party, she is currently serving asSecretary of State (Combatting Crime). She previously served as theMinister of Democratic Institutions from 2024 to 2025 and has represented the federal riding ofBrampton North and its successor ridingBrampton North—Caledon in theHouse of Commons of Canada since 2015.[5][6] She also previously served as theChief Government Whip from January to December 2024.
Sahota was born inToronto after her parents arrived in Canada from Punjab, India in the late 1970s,[7] and was raised in Brampton. Her father previously was the Chairman of the Ontario Sikhs and Gurdwara Council.[8]
Sahota attended Brampton'sCentral Peel Secondary School from 1993 to 1998, and then graduated with an Honours bachelor's degree in Political Science and Peace Studies atMcMaster University in 2003.[9] She then attendedWestern Michigan University Cooley Law School, graduating in 2007.[10]
From 2007 to 2012, Sahota practiced law inCleveland,Ohio, focusing on commercial litigation.[11][12]
Sahota sought the Liberal nomination for the newly created riding of Brampton North, winning it on March 1, 2015.[13]
The general election campaign involved some controversy, as Sahota's campaign criticized leaflets circulated by her opponent,Conservative incumbentParm Gill, which it was alleged were deliberately aimed at confusing Sahota with previous Liberal Party MPRuby Dhalla.[14] Sahota defeated Gill to win the election.
Once elected, Sahota was appointed to both theStanding Committee on the Status of Women and theStanding Committee on Procedure and House Affairs. She was subsequently named to theSpecial Committee on Electoral Reform. On February 1, 2017, she was elected Chair of the Federal Liberal Ontario Caucus by her peers. As Caucus Chair, she presides over meetings, leads discussions, and is an important link between Ontario Liberal MPs and the Prime Minister's Office and Cabinet.
Sahota was appointed interimChief Government Whip on January 8, 2024, replacingSteven MacKinnon while he was appointed interimGovernment House Leader whileKarina Gould was onmaternity leave. MacKinnon was promoted to Minister of Labour on July 9, 2024 making Sahota's appointment as whip permanent.[15]
Sahota becameMinister of Democratic Institutions andMinister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario in December 2024. She was appointed by Prime MinisterMark Carney to be part of the30th Canadian Ministry asSecretary of State (Combatting Crime).[16]
She is married to podiatrist Dr. Tejinder Sahota and has a son named Nihal.
| 2025 Canadian federal election:Brampton North—Caledon | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| Liberal | Ruby Sahota | 22,847 | 49 | –2.51 | ||||
| Conservative | Amandeep Judge | 22,105 | 47.4 | +14.34 | ||||
| New Democratic | Ruby Zaman | 1,008 | 2.16 | –11.79 | ||||
| People's | Sat Anand | 635 | 1.37 | +0.41 | ||||
| Total valid votes/expense limit | 46,595 | |||||||
| Total rejected ballots | 449 | |||||||
| Turnout | 47,044 | 68.05 | ||||||
| Eligible voters | 69,132 | |||||||
| Liberalhold | Swing | –8.43 | ||||||
| Source:Elections Canada[17][18] | ||||||||
| 2021 Canadian federal election | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Liberal | Ruby Sahota | 22,976 | 53.87 | +2.44 | ||||
| Conservative | Medha Joshi | 13,292 | 31.16 | +3.49 | ||||
| New Democratic | Teresa Yeh | 6,386 | 14.97 | -1.92 | ||||
| Total valid votes | 42,654 | |||||||
| Total rejected ballots | ||||||||
| Turnout | 42,654 | 56.61 | -8.58 | |||||
| Eligible voters | 75,344 | |||||||
| Source:Elections Canada[19] | ||||||||
| Liberalhold | Swing | -0.53 | ||||||
| 2019 Canadian federal election:Brampton North | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| Liberal | Ruby Sahota | 25,970 | 51.42 | +3.05 | $76,162.12 | |||
| Conservative | Arpan Khanna | 13,973 | 27.67 | -5.32 | $100,060.30 | |||
| New Democratic | Melissa Edwards | 8,382 | 16.90 | +0.40 | $17,829.85 | |||
| Green | Norbert D'Costa | 1,516 | 3.00 | +1.10 | $0.00 | |||
| People's | Keith Frazer | 510 | 1.01 | – | none listed | |||
| Total valid votes/expense limit | 50,502 | 99.03 | ||||||
| Total rejected ballots | 496 | 0.97 | ||||||
| Turnout | 50,998 | 65.19 | ||||||
| Eligible voters | 78,229 | |||||||
| Liberalhold | Swing | +4.11 | ||||||
| Source:Elections Canada[20][21] | ||||||||
| 2015 Canadian federal election:Brampton North | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| Liberal | Ruby Sahota | 23,297 | 48.37 | +20.21 | $136,386.70 | |||
| Conservative | Parm Gill | 15,888 | 32.99 | -15.88 | $194,312.26 | |||
| New Democratic | Martin Singh | 7,946 | 16.50 | -2.34 | $78,854.84 | |||
| Green | Pauline Thornham | 915 | 1.90 | -1.78 | $146.44 | |||
| Communist | Harinderpal Hundal | 120 | 0.25 | – | – | |||
| Total valid votes/expense limit | 48,166 | 100.00 | $206,076.29 | |||||
| Total rejected ballots | 318 | 0.66 | – | |||||
| Turnout | 48,484 | 66.13 | – | |||||
| Eligible voters | 73,321 | |||||||
| Liberalnotional gain fromConservative | Swing | +18.05 | ||||||
| Source:Elections Canada[22][23] | ||||||||