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Wright said the leadership score is a way to put all the candidates on a level playing field.

“This can’t just be a popularity contest in the Conservative Party,” said Wright. “People are looking at the leadership qualities and this is a public assessment of that.”

While members of the Conservative Party are weighing up a variety of factors in how they plan to cast their vote, part of that decision is how the public perceives each candidate and how likely the person is to beat Trudeau in a federal election. This poll provides an early attempt to reveal that information.

This can't just be a popularity contest

MacKay has the most name recognition of any potential candidate with 56 per cent of Canadians aware of him, compared to 48 per cent for Ambrose. Only 19 per cent of Canadians were aware of Rempel and 17 per cent were aware of Deltell, although both candidates seem to draw positive reviews from respondents who know who they are.

Ambrose trumps MacKay on every leadership category, though, particularly on the question of “who will unite the country” and “who has values closest to my own.” Forty-two per cent of Canadians who are aware of Ambrose think she can unite the country and 36 per cent think she shares their values. Thirty-seven per cent of Canadians think MacKay can unite the country, while 32 per cent think he shares their values.

The poll looked at seven potential candidates who have been speculated as replacements for the Conservative leadership. Former Prime Minister Stephen Harper was added for comparative purposes.