Justin Trudeau's resignation has put former B.C. premier Christy Clark squarely back in the political spotlight.

Clark publicly expressed interest in leading the federal Liberal Party in October 2024 but noted at the time the job was not open. Now, of course, following Trudeau's announcement on Monday morning, it is.

On social media Monday, Clark posted messages in French and English, thanking Trudeau and wishing him well:

"As a lifelong Liberal I look forward to joining tens of thousands of Canadians to choose our next leader," she said. "This is the biggest opportunity in over a decade that we've had to grow our Party and welcome new Liberals — including Canadians concerned about the future of our country — let's seize it," she said.

Clark was premier from 2011-2017 and leader of the B.C. Liberal Party, which was never affiliated with the federal Liberals.

She is one of many names being floated as a potential candidate to replace Trudeau as the federal party's new leader.

More than a few pundits have noted that given Trudeau's deep unpopularity, the Liberal Party might do well to choose an outsider not closely affiliated with the prime minister — such as Clark or former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney.

"I think the interesting names of Mark Carney and Christy Clark are flying around, not surprisingly, because they don't have that tie to Trudeau like some of the other candidates do," said Sanjay Jeram, senior political science lecturer at Simon Fraser University.

The president of the Conservative Party of B.C. said while Clark is a long shot for leader, she is well positioned to distance herself from Trudeau's reputation and record.

"Who knows? A lot can change in politics in a couple of days so maybe she'll move up and be a contender," said Aisha Estey.

Estey believes Trudeau's resignation could lead to a federal election as early as April instead of the fixed date of Oct. 20.

"It's a very interesting time. Conservatives, we want an election now. We don't think the country should be put through a leadership race for the Liberal Party, but this, hopefully, will speed up the process," she said on CBC's The Early Edition.

WATCH | Christy Clark's B.C. Liberals lose out after 2017 provincial election:

Media Video | CBC News : Throwback: When Christy Clark's B.C. Liberal government was toppled in 2017

Caption: In 2017, Christy Clark’s B.C. Liberal minority government was defeated in a non-confidence vote, paving the way for the B.C. NDP to form government.

Open Full Embed in New Tab Loading external pages may require significantly more data usage.

Clark resigned from provincial politics in 2017 after the John Horgan-led B.C. NDP signed a confidence and supply agreement with the B.C. Green Party to defeat Clark's minority government.

Her website says she is currently a "sought-after Canadian keynote speaker at events across the country and internationally and serves as advisor to some of Canada's leading organizations."

Reaction to Trudeau's announcement he is stepping down came from all political corners in B.C.

Former Vancouver Granville MP Jody Wilson-Raybould, who had an acrimonious falling out with Trudeau after serving as his justice minister and attorney general, said on social media, "We can finally turn the page."

"Well, the PM did not sound like he wanted to go [and] was sadly not too gracious, but he is going. I thank him for his service," she wrote. "...we must keep focus on building a stronger Canada in an increasingly volatile [and] uncertain world."

Wilson-Raybould resigned from cabinet and was expelled from caucus over what came to be known as the SNC-Lavalin affair.

B.C. Premier David Eby said in a statement, "While we didn't always agree, I want to thank Justin Trudeau for serving as Prime Minister during some very difficult times our country has faced.

"British Columbians have benefited from several initiatives started under Justin Trudeau, including the federal government's decision to partner with B.C. on lowering the cost of child care," said Eby.

Opposition B.C. Conservative leader John Rustad posted that Eby "has lost his number one political ally today with Trudeau's resignation."