After many months of campaigning, debating and a delaydue to COVID-19, either John Abbott or Andrew Furey will become Newfoundland and Labrador's new Liberal Party leader Monday night and the province's premier-designate.

It started in February with outgoing Premier Dwight Ball dropping a bombshell announcement of his resignation from the post.

Ball's announcement came amid growing scandals within his caucus such as former Municipal Affairs and Environment Minister Perry Trimper'sinadvertent "very racist"voicemail to Innu Nation stafferDominic Rich, the hiring of Carla Foote without competition to a top job at The Rooms and subsequent investigation into then-Tourism Minister Christopher Mitchelmore's involvement, the hiring ofGordon McIntoshto a $350,000 contract with Nalcor Energy also without competition and thesaga of a harassment claimset forth by then cabinet Minister Sherry Gambin-Walsh which saw the removal ofthen-Liberal MHA Eddie Joyce and cabinet minister Dale Kirby.

Ball was first elected as premier in 2015, and re-elected in 2019.

But either Abbott or Furey will also inherit other problems, such as the province's troubling financial situation, which has since worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the ongoing push to bring theMuskrat Falls hydroelectric project online.

The race for a new Liberal leader began shortly after Ball's resignation in February.Abbott was the first to declare his candidacy for leadership, with Fureyentering the ring not long after.

The whole process came to a halt in late March amid a wave of pandemic-related closures, before starting back up in early June.

Abbott, who is CEO of the Newfoundland and Labrador branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association, has experience in the public sphere after workingtwo stints as deputy minister of health under Ball andformer premier Danny Williams. He hasnever run for public office before this race.

Fureycomes from afamily of long-time politicians. His father, George Furey, is the speaker of the Senate. Furey's uncle,Chuck Furey, is a former provincial cabinet minister.

But the younger Furey, too, has never run for office until now. Anorthopedic surgeon, he founded thehumanitarian group Team Broken Earthand co-founded the Dollar A Day Foundation.

Over the course of the race, Abbott remained on the attack, twice raisingconcerns abouthowFureyformed his contactlist, a list that resulted in a convicted murderer getting an invitation to Furey's campaign launch.

The two men also went to battle over health care, with FureyaccusingAbbott of not doing enough to fix the system while he held hissenior position ingovernment.

Read more aticles from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador

Read more:

John Abbott or Andrew Furey to be named Liberal Party leader - CBC.ca