Eldest son of late Canadian leader Pierre Trudeau to run for leadership of Liberal Party

MONTREAL – The eldest son of late Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau says he'll run for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada.

Justin Trudeau, 40, a charismatic member of Parliament since 2008, has long been expected to run for the leadership of a party that dominated Canada for much of the last century but was regulated to third-party status in the last election.

Pierre Trudeau, who died at age 80 in 2000, was prime minister for almost all of a 16-year stretch from 1968-84. Sweeping to power on a wave of support nicknamed "Trudeaumania," Trudeau had a charisma reminiscent of another young, dashing politician who had captivated the U.S. eight years earlier — former President John F. Kennedy.

Trudeau's sophisticated, sometimes irreverent style fascinated and captivated his country.