He sought the Liberal nomination in Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke in 1988, challenging the Liberal incumbent Len Hopkins. More than 3,500 people voted in the nomination election, with Hopkins winning by a narrow margin. Clouthier announced he would once again seek the nomination in 1993, but his candidacy was denied by then-party leader Jean Chrétien who protected Hopkins, who had held the seat for twenty five years. Clouthier ran as an independent candidate in the 1993 federal election, getting over 10,000 votes and finishing second to Hopkins.