In 1997, Hopkins announced he would not be a candidate in the next federal election. There was a spirited battle for the Liberal nomination and over 4,000 memberships were sold. At the party's local convention, Clouthier defeated three other candidates to win the nomination. He subsequently won the general election and became MP for Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke. He was elected by his fellow Liberal MPs as Chair of Eastern Ontario caucus, and was named by the Prime Minister as Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of National Defence in 2000.