Justin Trudeau is one step closer to building his own political legacy and following in his father's famous footsteps as an elected politician.

He narrowly won his bid for the Liberal nomination for Montreal's Papineau riding on the first ballot of Sunday's nomination vote, taking 54 per cent of the 1,266 ballots cast.

"I'm carrying the Trudeau name, yes, but I'm also carrying my own name," the son of the late former prime minister Pierre Trudeau told reporters after his victory. "I think what was achieved here in this process was to demonstrate that I'm not just a last name ... I'm able to reach out and represent people."

Margaret Trudeau, Justin's mother, said not to expect a carbon copy of her ex-husband.

"Justin is his own person. He's not to be confused with his father. He has all the advantages of being raised by his father, but he has a lot to offer on his own and I'm very proud of him," she said.

Trudeau linked himself to his famous father in making his pitch to the Liberals of Montreal's Papineau riding to become their candidate in the next federal election.

"I want to be your standard-bearer, a unifier to take on our real adversaries, the Bloquistes and Conservatives," Pierre's eldest son told party members gathered in a school gymnasium on Sunday.

The 35-year-old noted that his father listed 'teacher' as his occupation when he first ran for the Liberal nomination in neighbouring Mount Royal riding.

The elder Trudeau was instrumental in repatriating Canada's Constitution in 1982 and ensuring it had a Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

"What you were part of 40 years ago changed Canada forever," he said. "We are all children of the Charter. You can understand how fiercely proud I am to be able to say that your prime minister was also my dad."

Trudeau had Margaret and filmmaker brother Sacha working the crowd. Former Liberal cabinet ministers Pierre Pettigrew, who represented the riding until 2006, and Jean Lapierre were also there.

Justin's first try

This had been Trudeau's first attempt to follow his father into politics. He chose a poor, ethnically diverse Bloc Quebecois-held riding.

He had been expected to be in a tough fight with Mary Deros, a popular city councillor, and Basilio Giordano, an Italian-language newspaper editor.

In his speech before the vote, Giordano told the crowd he wanted "to tell citizens of Papineau riding who are immigrants to this great country, that I understand their daily struggle, having myself lived some of the same challenges.

"If elected, I will fight with you and for you to ensure Canada fulfils its promise of a better life."

Deros, who grew up in the neighbourhood, said, "I know first hand the dedication, the loyalty, and the hard work that it takes to win an election, having been tested on that battle ground and having won, not once but three consecutive hard-fought victories."

Justin's first home was at 24 Sussex. His two opponents tried to indirectly highlight his lack of personal ties to the riding. Trudeau argued that part of his father's former riding is now part of Papineau.

Both Deros and Giordano said afterward they would work to help Trudeau take the riding back from the Bloc.

Andre Pratte, chief editorialist of Montreal's La Presse French-language newspaper, wondered whether the Trudeau name also carries baggage as well as magic.

"Someone who apparently thinks about Quebec exactly what his father thought ... (it) would hurt their chances of appealing to francophone Quebecers," he said.

With a report from CTV's Jed Kahane and files from The Canadian Press